This was a historic election for women: Facebook COO

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:40 pm on 11 Nov 2016,Friday

Facebook's Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg on Thursday said, "This was a historic election for women. For the first time in the US history, a woman was the nominee of a major party". Sandberg added, "Over 59 million Americans voted to put Hillary Clinton in the highest office. Even though we fell short, that should make us all proud".

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:40 pm on 11 Nov

read more at Recode

Chrome extension turns images of Trump into burgers

short by Vani Vivek / 07:09 pm on 11 Nov 2016,Friday

Australian burger restaurant Mr. Burger has created a Google Chrome extension that replaces pictures of US President-elect Donald Trump with burgers. The 'Make Trump Burger Again' extension works only on images that have the word "Trump" or something similar in the image's alternative text. The extension can be downloaded from the Chrome web store.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:09 pm on 11 Nov

read more at Mashable

Gadget lets users play music while air drumming

short by Vani Vivek / 07:07 pm on 11 Nov 2016,Friday

A virtual drum kit called 'Freedrum' lets users play music just by air drumming with a pair of drumsticks. The kit includes motion-sensitive sensors that detect motion using gyroscopes and can be connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth to produce the sound of actual drums. Priced at $89 (₹6,000), the sensors can run for seven hours on an hour's charge.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:07 pm on 11 Nov

read more at Video

21-year-old student rejects $100k grant after Trump wins

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:52 pm on 11 Nov 2016,Friday

A 21-year-old student, Cosmo Scharf, has rejected a $100,000 grant awarded by billionaire Peter Thiel after Donald Trump was elected as the US President. Thiel is PayPal's Co-founder and a Facebook board member who openly supports Trump. "I can't be associated with a person who helped a psychopathic, sexist, racist, xenophobic, poisonous demagogue rise to power", the student said.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:52 pm on 11 Nov

read more at The Verge

Scientists make pen drive to test for HIV in under 30 mins

short by Vani Vivek / 04:40 pm on 11 Nov 2016,Friday

British scientists have developed a USB stick-based test to measure levels of HIV in the blood that produces results in under half an hour. The computer plug-in needs a single drop of blood to conduct the test and transmits the results to a mobile device. The technology could allow patients to monitor HIV levels at home with 95% accuracy.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:40 pm on 11 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

A dark moment but not the end: Edward Snowden on Trump's win

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:20 pm on 11 Nov 2016,Friday

On Donald Trump's election as the 45th US President, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden said, "This is a dark moment in our nation's history, but it is not the end of history". He added, "We should be cautious about putting too much faith or fear in elected officials...If we want to see a change, we must force it through ourselves".

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:20 pm on 11 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

India's 1st banking robot 'Lakshmi' launched

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:54 pm on 11 Nov 2016,Friday

Kumbakonam-based City Union Bank on Thursday launched India's first banking robot called Lakshmi. The artificial intelligence powered robot, which will be the first on-site bank helper, can speak English, gesture, and engage in a life-like manner in conversations. Further, the robot can answer intelligently on more than 125 subjects including account balance and interest rates on loans.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:54 pm on 11 Nov

read more at The Financial Express

₹8,700 Snapchat Spectacles sell for ₹67,000 on eBay

short by Vani Vivek / 03:36 pm on 11 Nov 2016,Friday

Several pairs of Snapchat's 'Spectacles' sunglasses priced at ₹8,700 ($130) have been listed on e-commerce major eBay for up to ₹67,000 ($1,000) each. The company on Thursday started selling its smart glasses with built-in cameras through vending machines called 'Snapbots' and the initial supply has already been sold out. Spectacles can be used to capture and share 10-second snaps.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:36 pm on 11 Nov

read more at Bloomberg

Zuckerberg denies fake news on Facebook impacted US election

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:34 pm on 11 Nov 2016,Friday

Facebook Co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Friday rejected the idea that fake news doing rounds on the social media platform influenced the US elections. Facebook earlier received flak from users for not removing fake Donald Trump interviews where he said "Republicans are the dumbest group of voters". A research found that 44% of Americans get their news from Facebook.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:34 pm on 11 Nov

read more at Bloomberg

Google starts mobile-first indexing on search results

short by Satyaki Das / 03:09 pm on 11 Nov 2016,Friday

Google has started experimenting with a 'mobile-first' index that primarily ranks websites based on their phone-friendly pages. The reason behind this move is that it encounters more mobile searches than desktop searches on a daily basis, Google said. The change won't affect the ranking of desktop-only sites and responsive websites that automatically resize to fit mobile devices, it added.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:09 pm on 11 Nov

read more at Engadget

Robot solves Rubik's cube in 0.637 seconds to set record

short by Vani Vivek / 02:54 pm on 11 Nov 2016,Friday

The 'Sub1 Reloaded' robot by German company Infineon solved a Rubik's cube in 0.637 seconds in 21 moves, setting a new world record for the fastest-solved Rubik's Cube by a machine. The robot used six motors to turn and twist the cube after another computer scanned and solved the puzzle virtually. The previous record was of 0.887 seconds.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:54 pm on 11 Nov

read more at YouTube

Snapchat sells $130 Spectacles through vending machines

short by Vani Vivek / 02:54 pm on 11 Nov 2016,Friday

Snapchat on Thursday started selling its 'Spectacles' smart sunglasses for $130 (₹8,700) through vending machines called 'Snapbots' which will travel around the US. The Snapbots feature a display that lets shoppers virtually try on the glasses in coral, black or teal colour. Spectacles feature an in-built camera and can be connected to smartphones to take and send 10-second snaps.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:54 pm on 11 Nov

read more at Engadget

Hyperloop Co-founder backs California's US exit on Trump win

short by Vani Vivek / 02:53 pm on 11 Nov 2016,Friday

Hyperloop One Co-founder Shervin Pishevar has backed the 'Calexit' movement for California to exit from the US and become an independent nation following Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential elections. Shervin said he was "very serious... and there'll be announcements" about his plans to implement the program. He also shared an image on Twitter captioned, "New California Republic Flag".

short by Vani Vivek / 02:53 pm on 11 Nov

read more at Engadget

'Social media predicted Trump win better than polls'

short by Satyaki Das / 02:19 pm on 11 Nov 2016,Friday

Social media activity regarding Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton predicted Trump's victory 'well in advance,' several social media analytics firms have claimed. While SimplyMeasured saw social media sentiment towards Trump trending more positively than that towards Clinton on Election Day, Brandwatch revealed Trump had more Twitter mentions over the election cycle, including Election Day.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:19 pm on 11 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

Grubhub CEO asks employees supporting Trump to resign

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:01 pm on 11 Nov 2016,Friday

US-based food ordering major Grubhub's CEO Matt Maloney on Wednesday wrote an anti-Donald Trump e-mail to his employees, asking the ones supporting Trump's 'hateful attitude' to resign. "While demeaning, insulting and ridiculing minorities, immigrants and the physically/mentally disabled worked for Trump, I want to be clear that this behaviour and views, have no place at Grubhub," he said.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:01 pm on 11 Nov

read more at Google

Companies grow soil-free food to solve Arctic shortages

short by Satyaki Das / 11:34 am on 11 Nov 2016,Friday

Alaska-based companies Native Kikiktagruk Inupiat Corp and Vertical Harvest Hydroponics are using soil-free techniques to grow vegetables in an attempt to solve food shortage issues in Arctic communities. Their indoor gardens grow vegetables like kale and lettuce in nutrient solutions inside insulated shipping containers filled with LED lights, without warm climate or soil requirements.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:34 am on 11 Nov

read more at Engadget

Trump believed Bill Gates could help him close the Internet

short by Vani Vivek / 08:09 pm on 10 Nov 2016,Thursday

While campaigning in 2015, US President-elect Donald Trump had said, "We have to see Bill Gates and a lot of different people... talk to them about, maybe in certain areas, closing that Internet up in some way." He had suggested this as a way to stop ISIS "jihadists" from recruiting Americans online to commit acts of domestic terrorism.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:09 pm on 10 Nov

read more at The Verge

Alphabet drops deal to deliver Starbucks coffee via drones

short by Vani Vivek / 07:38 pm on 10 Nov 2016,Thursday

Google parent Alphabet has reportedly cancelled its deal under 'Project Wing' with coffee company Starbucks to make deliveries using drones. According to reports, the deal was dropped over disagreements about access to customer data provided to Alphabet by Starbucks. Earlier this year, Alphabet finalised a deal with American fast food chain Chipotle to deliver burritos using the unmanned vehicles.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:38 pm on 10 Nov

read more at Bloomberg

Keep moving forward: Cook to Apple employees on Trump's win

short by Vani Vivek / 07:37 pm on 10 Nov 2016,Thursday

Apple CEO Tim Cook has sent a memo quoting Martin Luther King Jr to the company's employees following Donald Trump's victory in the US elections that says, "Whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward." Trump had called for a boycott of Apple's products during campaigning over its refusal to unlock an iPhone used by the San Bernardino shooter.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:37 pm on 10 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

After Apple, Samsung patents foldable phone

short by Vani Vivek / 05:25 pm on 10 Nov 2016,Thursday

A recently-filed patent by Samsung shows illustrations for a device with a bendable screen, a week after Apple was granted a patent for foldable iPhones. The patent states that the device will have a secondary display that will activate when the device is folded, like in flip phones. Samsung is rumoured to release two smartphones with bendable screens in 2017.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:25 pm on 10 Nov

read more at The Verge

Look forward to working with those elected: Microsoft CEO

short by Vani Vivek / 04:53 pm on 10 Nov 2016,Thursday

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Wednesday congratulated US President-elect Donald Trump through a LinkedIn blog and said that the company "was looking forward to working with" those elected. Microsoft President Brad Smith also wrote a blog stating that the vote "registered a strong concern about the plight of" economic disparity, which Microsoft will aim to bridge by creating new jobs.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:53 pm on 10 Nov

read more at India Today

Sony launches PlayStation 4 Pro at $399

short by Satyaki Das / 04:35 pm on 10 Nov 2016,Thursday

Sony has globally launched the PlayStation 4 Pro gaming console priced at $399. The PS4 Pro can offer 4K and High Dynamic Range (HDR) video, and features an upgraded graphics processor, 8 GB RAM, and a 1 TB hard drive, besides improved support for PlayStation Virtual Reality. The console's launch games include FIFA 17 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:35 pm on 10 Nov

read more at The Verge

Google machine learning being used to protect sea cows

short by Satyaki Das / 04:28 pm on 10 Nov 2016,Thursday

In an attempt to protect the endangered sea cow, Queensland University researchers have used Google's TensorFlow machine learning software to create a detector that automatically spots the aquatic mammals in ocean images. The initial version of the detector could accurately spot 80% of the sea cows that had been confirmed in existing photos.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:28 pm on 10 Nov

read more at Engadget

‘How to convert black money into white’ trends on Google

short by Vani Vivek / 04:20 pm on 10 Nov 2016,Thursday

"How to convert black money into white money" was a trending Google search term in India following PM Narendra Modi's announcement of demonetising ₹500 and ₹1,000 notes. Interest in the term peaked at 1:30 AM on Wednesday morning, after the announcement was made late Tuesday night. Most of the searches came from the states of Gujarat, Haryana and Maharashtra.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:20 pm on 10 Nov

read more at Livemint

Time Warner shares fall on concern Trump may block AT&T deal

short by Vani Vivek / 03:32 pm on 10 Nov 2016,Thursday

Shares of media company Time Warner fell by over 1.45% on Wednesday following Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential elections. Trump had said in October that he would block telecom giant AT&T's proposed $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner if he came into power as it "concentrates too much power in the hands of too few".

short by Vani Vivek / 03:32 pm on 10 Nov

read more at Reuters

eBay was founded by an immigrant: CEO responds to Trump win

short by Vani Vivek / 03:21 pm on 10 Nov 2016,Thursday

Responding to Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential elections, eBay CEO Devin Wenig sent out a company-wide note highlighting that the e-commerce major was founded by an immigrant and that diversity was "one of the most valuable assets" of eBay. Trump had announced plans to build a wall along the US-Mexico border to keep illegal immigrants out.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:21 pm on 10 Nov

read more at Recode

Sennheiser lets users test world's costliest headphones

short by Satyaki Das / 03:20 pm on 10 Nov 2016,Thursday

A Sennheiser pop-up store in New York lets anyone test out its flagship $55,000 Orpheus HE-1, the most expensive headphones in the world. The headphone-and-amplifier setup can be tested out in a separate, soundproof room. The Orpheus is an electrostatic headphone, which differs from ordinary 'dynamic' headphones by how it replicates sound with as much tonal accuracy as theoretically possible.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:20 pm on 10 Nov

read more at The Next Web

Yahoo admits some employees knew of 2014 data hack

short by Vani Vivek / 02:44 pm on 10 Nov 2016,Thursday

Yahoo has admitted that some of its employees knew that the company's network had been breached by a "state-sponsored hacker" in 2014. The company had earlier claimed that the hack was discovered in August 2016. Yahoo said it was investigating "the scope of knowledge within the Company in 2014" about the hack that affected 500 million accounts.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:44 pm on 10 Nov

read more at Daily Mail

First-ever semiconductor-free microelectronic device created

short by Satyaki Das / 02:12 pm on 10 Nov 2016,Thursday

San Diego-based engineers have fabricated the world's first semiconductor-free, optically-controlled microelectronic device. Using a gold-based metamaterial, they built a microscale device that shows a 1,000% increase in conductivity when activated by low voltage and a low power laser. The discovery could lead to the development of more efficient solar panels.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:12 pm on 10 Nov

read more at YouTube

Mark Zuckerberg responds to US election with daughter's pic

short by Vani Vivek / 01:46 pm on 10 Nov 2016,Thursday

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday responded to the US presidential elections by posting a picture with his daughter Max on the social media platform. "Holding Max, I thought about all the work ahead of us to create the world we want for our children. This work is bigger than any presidency", he wrote without addressing Donald Trump's victory.

short by Vani Vivek / 01:46 pm on 10 Nov

read more at Facebook

Twitter COO Adam Bain to leave the company

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 11:47 am on 10 Nov 2016,Thursday

Microblogging site Twitter on Wednesday announced that Chief Operating Officer Adam Bain, widely credited to have built the company's business model, will be leaving the company to explore other opportunities. Chief Financial Officer Anthony Noto will take up Bain’s job, and the social-media company has already started a search for its new finance chief, Twitter said in a statement.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 11:47 am on 10 Nov

read more at Reuters

eBay fires its product and technology team in India

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:23 pm on 09 Nov 2016,Wednesday

American e-commerce company eBay has fired the product and technology team from its India development centre in Bengaluru, citing a review in operational structure. Only a total of 15 employees from both the teams have been retained who will move to the US. eBay had reportedly fired 50 employees from the same office last year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:23 pm on 09 Nov

read more at VCCircle

Lenovo may kill its own brand name to make way for Moto

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:00 pm on 09 Nov 2016,Wednesday

Chinese gadget maker Lenovo will reportedly stop marketing smartphones with its own brand name and adopt the Moto label from now on. The company had acquired Motorola from Google for nearly $3 billion in 2014. Interestingly, Lenovo had announced its plans to phase out the Motorola name earlier this year to replace it with the 'Moto by Lenovo' mark.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:00 pm on 09 Nov

read more at The Next Web

'End of the world' among top Google searches after Trump win

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:14 pm on 09 Nov 2016,Wednesday

Google search for 'End of the world' and 'How to emigrate to Canada' witnessed a sudden surge in the US after Donald Trump was elected the 45th President of the country. The Canadian immigration website stopped working overwhelmed by the sudden surge of traffic on its servers. Google search for “Move to New Zealand" also began trending in the US.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:14 pm on 09 Nov

read more at VCCircle

Vespa unveils 1st electric version of its scooter

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:46 pm on 09 Nov 2016,Wednesday

Italian scooter manufacturer Vespa has unveiled Vespa Elettrica project, its first all-electric scooter to be sold in the second half of 2017. The company claims the scooter will come with the style and maneuverability of a classic Vespa but will be powered by a cheaper-to-run, eco-friendly motor. The company has not released any further details on price or specifications.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:46 pm on 09 Nov

read more at Engadget

Apple starts sale of refurbished iPhones online

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:31 pm on 09 Nov 2016,Wednesday

Tech giant Apple has begun selling refurbished iPhones through its online store, the first time since 2007. The refurbished devices are available in all four colours with free shipping and returns and cost 15% lesser than the price of a new device. The company says that it ships refurbished devices with brand new batteries and outer shells.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:31 pm on 09 Nov

read more at The Next Web

GoPro recalls Karma drone after 16 days in market

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:21 pm on 09 Nov 2016,Wednesday

American technology company GoPro has issued a press release announcing the recall of the Karma drone over a power lose malfunction. The Karma drone was in the market for 16 days and the company has recalled all the 2,500 drones sold so far. This comes after the company announced last week that it missed revenue expectations by 23%.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:21 pm on 09 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

YouTube Kids launched in India

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:21 pm on 09 Nov 2016,Wednesday

Google on Wednesday launched the YouTube Kids, a service that will offer specially curated videos, in India. The company said that the "standalone, family-friendly app makes it easier for children to find videos on topics they want to explore." The app also has several features that allow parents to control how and when children use YouTube.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:21 pm on 09 Nov

read more at India Today

Google to shut down tool that let users edit Google Maps

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:19 pm on 09 Nov 2016,Wednesday

Google on Wednesday announced its Map Maker service, a tool that allows anyone worldwide to contribute data to Google Maps, is retiring in March 2017. The service offered an online tool and editor that lets anyone submit updates to Google Maps, which moderators could then approve. The crowdsourced contributions to Maps will now be transitioned to Google's Local Guides program.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:19 pm on 09 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

New DNA test helps find family's ethnic, geographic history

short by Rini Kapoor / 05:08 pm on 09 Nov 2016,Wednesday

Israel-based genealogy service MyHeritage has introduced a gene kit that it claims is capable of identifying the ethnic and geographic history of one's family. The online platform's $79 'MyHeritage DNA' kit offers test results in 3-4 weeks and even shows DNA matches with distant relatives. MyHeritage is giving 5,000 free testing kits to existing members to jumpstart its DNA library.

short by Rini Kapoor / 05:08 pm on 09 Nov

read more at Engadget

US military tests brain stimulation to enhance staff skills

short by Rini Kapoor / 01:43 pm on 09 Nov 2016,Wednesday

US military scientists have developed and successfully tested electrical brain stimulators for enhancing multitasking skills of servicemen like drone operators. The brain stimulation kits use electrodes to send weak electrical currents through the skull and into specific parts of the cortex, to help neurons fire, and ultimately improve effectiveness in high-pressure situations.

short by Rini Kapoor / 01:43 pm on 09 Nov

read more at The Guardian

Samsung offices raided over possible political scandal ties

short by Mansha Mahajan / 08:47 pm on 08 Nov 2016,Tuesday

South Korean prosecutors raided tech major Samsung's offices on Tuesday to look for evidence that it illegally provided gifts for President Park Geun-hye's confidante Choi Soon-sil. The raid was to look in the case wherein Park let Choi view confidential documents. Notably, Choi has been accused of using her relationship with the President to collect donations from contributors like Samsung.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 08:47 pm on 08 Nov

read more at Bloomberg

Xiaomi launches rechargeable anti-pollution mask

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:15 pm on 08 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi has launched a rechargeable anti-pollution mask named 'Cloth Pear Fresh' for ₹870 in China. The mask, made of high-fibre textile is hand-woven and comes with an in-built air filter which includes an ultra-thin fan with three speed levels. It claims to provide air filtration efficiency of up to 99%.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:15 pm on 08 Nov

Apple may launch 'Jet White' colour for iPhone 7

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:04 pm on 08 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Apple is reportedly planning to launch a 'Jet White' colour option for its latest iPhone 7 smartphone. Currently, five colour options namely Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, Matte Black and Jet Black are available for the handset. The new colour is expected to be launched for both the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus models.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:04 pm on 08 Nov

read more at The Next Web

Why Google Pixel is more expensive than Nexus phones?

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:57 pm on 08 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Pixel, the first ever smartphone made entirely by Google, is more expensive than the Nexus phones to monetise the company's Artificial Intelligence investments, according to MIT. Google is trying to build a voice-based assistant that will act as a user’s “own personal Google". Nexus phones, however, supported Google's aim of online advertising by getting more people to use Google services.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:57 pm on 08 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

LeEco Chairman to cut his salary to ₹10

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:05 pm on 08 Nov 2016,Tuesday

The billionaire Chairman of Chinese tech firm LeEco Jia Yueting has admitted his technology empire is running out of cash, and has pledged to slash his income to 15 cents (around ₹10). In a letter to employees, Jia apologised and further pledged to slow LeEco’s pace of expansion. The firm will immediately begin cost-cutting programmes, he added.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:05 pm on 08 Nov

read more at The Financial Express

BlackBerry launches last phones in India starting at ₹21,990

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:01 pm on 08 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry on Monday launched the last smartphones made by the company - DTEK50 and DTEK60, in India at ₹21,990 and ₹46,990 respectively. The lower variant phone is powered by Android Marshmallow and comes with a 5.2-inch display, 3 GB RAM and 13 MP camera. BlackBerry in September stopped making hardware and shifted its focus to software.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:01 pm on 08 Nov

read more at The Verge

Oracle Co-founder earned over ₹4,000 crore in a day

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:49 pm on 08 Nov 2016,Tuesday

American technology major Oracle's Co-founder and Chairman Larry Ellison's wealth increased by $700 million (₹4,670 crore) on Monday after his company acquired NetSuite for $9.3 billion, where Ellison owned a 41.3% stake. He now has a net worth of $48.7 billion. Ellison is the seventh richest person in the world.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:49 pm on 08 Nov

read more at Forbes

20% of world's vacuums are robots: iRobot CEO

short by Satyaki Das / 12:31 pm on 08 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Around 20% of vacuum cleaners around the world are now robots, according to robot manufacturer iRobot's CEO Colin Angle. He added that iRobot's Roomba vacuum robot makes up about 70% of that market, with around 14 million units sold worldwide so far. Founded in 1990, the Massachusetts-based company now focusses on making robots for the home consumer space.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:31 pm on 08 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

After Note 7, Samsung Galaxy J5 phone explodes in France

short by Abhishek Bansal / 11:09 pm on 07 Nov 2016,Monday

A Samsung phone user in France said that her Galaxy J5 smartphone caught fire and exploded on Sunday. The user claims that she threw the phone away when she realised it had "swollen up" and smoke was coming out, after which the phone caught fire and the back blew off. Earlier, Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 was recalled over battery explosions.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 11:09 pm on 07 Nov

China adopts stricter cyber-security law

short by Yash Kumar / 07:56 pm on 07 Nov 2016,Monday

China has adopted a cybersecurity law on Monday, that critics argue would shut out foreign companies as it includes controversial requirements for security reviews and requires data to be stored on Chinese servers. The legislation, set to come into effect in June 2017, is an "objective need" of China as a major internet power, a parliamentary official claimed.

short by Yash Kumar / 07:56 pm on 07 Nov

read more at The Guardian

Samsung may remove iconic home button from Galaxy S8

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:50 pm on 07 Nov 2016,Monday

South Korean electronics major Samsung, which killed its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphone over exploding batteries, will reportedly get rid of the iconic physical home button from its next device, the Galaxy S8. Other reports suggest that Galaxy S8 will come with Samsung's own voice-based assistant and feature an edge-to-edge display. The device is set to launch in early 2017.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:50 pm on 07 Nov

read more at The Next Web

So Lyf phone can take away Life? Tweets user

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:47 pm on 07 Nov 2016,Monday

Reacting to the explosion of Reliance Lyf smartphone, a user tweeted, "So Lyf phone can take away Life? Chinese product right?" Another user tweeted, "Looks like crackers are the cheapest smartphones available in the market". A user also tweeted, "A #Samsung in disguise! Reliance Jio Lyf phones explode as well!"

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:47 pm on 07 Nov

read more at Tweet Collection

Websites of 7 Indian missions hacked, data put online

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:46 pm on 07 Nov 2016,Monday

The websites and databases of seven Indian missions in Europe and Africa were reportedly hacked and the data from their servers were put online on Monday. Details including names, email IDs, phone numbers and even passport numbers of over 750 Indians were leaked online. One of the hackers said that the hack was committed as Indian Embassy's security was poor.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:46 pm on 07 Nov

read more at Hindustan Times

OnePlus launches headphones in India at ₹1,199

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:34 pm on 07 Nov 2016,Monday

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus has launched its in-ear 'Bullets V2' headphones in India at ₹1,199. The headphones come with the three-button in-line remote control for listening music and taking calls. Bullets V2 headphones are available for purchase in Silver and White colour options, only on OnePlus India's online store.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:34 pm on 07 Nov

read more at YouTube

LeEco Chairman admits the company is facing cash crunch

short by Mansha Mahajan / 05:36 pm on 07 Nov 2016,Monday

China-based LeEco's Chairman Jia Yueting has admitted his technology empire is running out of cash to sustain a headlong rush into businesses from electric cars to smartphones. “We blindly sped ahead," Jia said, adding the company got over-extended in its global strategy. Further, Jia pledged to slash his income to 15 cents and move LeEco towards more moderate growth.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 05:36 pm on 07 Nov

read more at Livemint

Xiaomi launches waterproof Bluetooth headset

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:31 pm on 07 Nov 2016,Monday

Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi has launched waterproof Bluetooth headsets named 'Mi Sports' in its home market at ₹1,500. The headset, which weighs only 17.8 grams, is scratch resistant and comes with a loop that holds it around the ears of a user. It claims to have a range of 10 metres and lasts for seven hours on a single charge.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:31 pm on 07 Nov

read more at India Today

Omar refuses to use his phone after Reliance Lyf explodes

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:02 pm on 07 Nov 2016,Monday

After a user claimed that his Reliance Lyf smartphone exploded and caught fire on Saturday, Jammu and Kashmir's former CM, Omar Abdullah refused to use his handset. "This looks like it was a very narrow escape. I won't be using my handset anytime soon, that's for sure", Abdullah tweeted. Lyf smartphones are a product of Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:02 pm on 07 Nov

read more at The Financial Express

Intel unveils drone made for aerial light shows

short by Satyaki Das / 04:11 pm on 07 Nov 2016,Monday

Chip maker Intel has unveiled the Shooting Star, a quadcopter drone made specifically for aerial light shows. The drone is fitted with an LED light that can shine in 4 billion colour combinations. It comes with a software that a pilot can use to control a swarm of Shooting Stars to create an intended image in the sky.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:11 pm on 07 Nov

read more at Engadget

Lenovo's 2008 ad trolls Apple's new MacBook Pros

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:42 pm on 07 Nov 2016,Monday

An advertisement released by Lenovo in 2008 has resurfaced online, which trolls Apple's latest MacBook Pro laptops. In the advertisement, an Apple MacBook with various connectors and adapters is put inside an envelope. It was an attempt by Lenovo to troll Apple, which released an advertisement in the same year showing how MacBook Air fits inside an envelope.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:42 pm on 07 Nov

read more at YouTube

₹1,335 computer that can run Android made

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:40 pm on 07 Nov 2016,Monday

A Chinese company has made a ₹1,335 computer named 'Orange Pi' that can run Android or Linux operating system. The 70-gram computer includes three USB ports, 1 GB of memory, H5 high-performance quad-core 64-bit processor, a graphics chip and a speaker. It supports camera input as well as HDMI and even has a physical power switch.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:40 pm on 07 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

WhatsApp gets GIF support on iOS

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:05 pm on 07 Nov 2016,Monday

Facebook-owned messaging platform WhatsApp on Sunday added GIF support on its iOS app. Users can also search for different GIFs from a GIF library to support their conversations with animations. The new feature also allows the users to send Live Photos as GIFs between conversations.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:05 pm on 07 Nov

read more at The Next Web

Why Google names its operating system after sweets?

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:03 pm on 07 Nov 2016,Monday

Google operating systems are always named after a sweet, like Cupcake, Donut, KitKat or Nougat. A Google spokesperson once said, "Android powers over one billion smartphones and tablets. Since these devices make our lives so sweet, each Android version is named after a dessert". Moreover, Android versions are named in an alphabetic order, starting from Cupcake to Marshmallow and Nougat.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:03 pm on 07 Nov

Reliance Lyf smartphone explodes and catches fire

short by Twishy Shahi / 03:16 am on 07 Nov 2016,Monday

Following Samsung's recall of Note 7 over exploding batteries, a man on Sunday claimed that his Reliance Lyf phone, sold by Reliance Industries’ retail arm Reliance Retail, exploded and caught fire. He also posted a picture of the phone and warned people from using Lyf smartphones. The Reliance team is in touch with the man and is investigating the matter.

short by Twishy Shahi / 03:16 am on 07 Nov

read more at The Financial Express

IIT KGP researchers develop tool to prevent train collision

short by Satyaki Das / 05:12 pm on 06 Nov 2016,Sunday

Computer science researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, have developed a new tool for electronic railway interlocking system, which prevents trains from colliding into each other. The tool has already been successfully tested in several railway yards, the lead researcher said, and claimed that it can be extended to study and develop optimum traffic operation plans.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:12 pm on 06 Nov

Asus launches gaming laptop with Nvidia 1080 graphics

short by Satyaki Das / 05:03 pm on 06 Nov 2016,Sunday

Taiwan-based computer hardware major Asus has launched the ROG G701VI, a 17.3-inch gaming laptop equipped with Nvidia's flagship GeForce GTX 1080 graphics unit. Other features of the latest addition to the 'Republic of Gamers' line includes a 6th-generation quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 64 GB DDR4 RAM and up to 2 TB of solid state drive storage.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:03 pm on 06 Nov

read more at Google

Zotac announces VR Go 'backpack' PC with removable straps

short by Satyaki Das / 04:45 pm on 06 Nov 2016,Sunday

Macau-based hardware maker Zotac has announced its VR Go 'backpack' PC with removable straps. The system is equipped with NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 1070 graphics, a quad-core Intel CPU from Intel, and a removable battery. Besides powering virtual reality headsets, the PC can also be used as a regular desktop computer.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:45 pm on 06 Nov

read more at The Verge

Disney makes virtual reality app to let users 'feel' rain

short by Vani Vivek / 04:20 pm on 06 Nov 2016,Sunday

The research arm of Disney has developed a 360° virtual reality (VR) application that lets users 'feel' the rain. Using a specially-designed chair and VR headset, the app provides full body sensation and enables users to customise the effects from light sprinkle to heavy downpour. The chair has a grid of six vibrating sensors and two subwoofers to provide sensations.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:20 pm on 06 Nov

India-born 'inventor of email' wins ₹5 crore lawsuit

short by Vani Vivek / 03:34 pm on 06 Nov 2016,Sunday

Indian-origin American scientist Shiva Ayyadurai, who claims to have invented email in 1978 at the age of 14, has won $750,000 (₹5 crore) in a settlement with Gawker Media. Ayyadurai sued the media organisation for defamation and his lawsuit claimed that a series of stories published by Gawker "falsely trace the origin of emails and called Dr Ayyadurai a liar."

short by Vani Vivek / 03:34 pm on 06 Nov

read more at Google

Majority of NetSuite holders back $9.3 bn Oracle acquisition

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:09 pm on 06 Nov 2016,Sunday

Technology firm Oracle on Saturday said that its proposed $9.3 billion acquisition of cloud storage major NetSuite will move forward as over half of eligible NetSuite shareholders backed the bid by deadline. The deal will be completed on Monday, Oracle added. Earlier, Oracle had warned that it would terminate the proposal to buy NetSuite if it didn’t get sufficient shares.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:09 pm on 06 Nov

read more at Reuters

WhatsApp testing Snapchat Stories-like feature 'Status'

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:56 pm on 06 Nov 2016,Sunday

Facebook-owned messaging platform WhatsApp is testing a new feature called 'Status', which is similar to Snapchat's Stories. WhatsApp's new feature lets users share mood-setting pictures and videos with custom elements such as emoji, with the content disappearing in 24 hours after it’s shared. The feature is currently available only to the registered public beta testers of WhatsApp.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:56 pm on 06 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

Samsung to launch voice assistant with Galaxy S8

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:51 pm on 06 Nov 2016,Sunday

Samsung, which killed its latest flagship smartphone Galaxy Note 7 over exploding batteries, will be launching a voice-based assistant with its upcoming Galaxy S8 smartphone. While Apple and Microsoft's voice assistants are called Siri and Cortana respectively, Samsung's assistant will reportedly be called 'Bixby'. Samsung's Galaxy S8 smartphone is expected to go on sale early next year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:51 pm on 06 Nov

read more at Reuters

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook face lawsuit over hate speech

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:50 pm on 06 Nov 2016,Sunday

Facebook Co-founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg and his company are being investigated by the German prosecutors following a lawsuit alleging that Facebook broke national laws against hate speech by failing to remove racist postings. The lawsuit includes a list of 438 posts that were flagged as inappropriate but not deleted over the past year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:50 pm on 06 Nov

Apple shows iPhone 7's stereo speaker in new video

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:18 pm on 06 Nov 2016,Sunday

Apple's latest advertisement for its iPhone 7 and 7 Plus smartphones show the new stereo speaker introduced on the devices. This is Apple's first iPhone ever to offer stereo audio. Besides highlighting the iPhone's speaker, Apple has also showcased the water resistant abilities of the device in the video.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:18 pm on 06 Nov

read more at YouTube

Robot-generated fake tweets influencing US elections: Study

short by Nihal Thondepu / 09:07 pm on 05 Nov 2016,Saturday

As much as 19% of the political discussion linked to the US presidential elections on Twitter has been generated by software robots or social bots, according to a study. Researchers involved in the University of South Carolina's study believe that the nearly 3.8 million robot-generated tweets may "threaten the very integrity" of the upcoming election.

short by Nihal Thondepu / 09:07 pm on 05 Nov

read more at PTI

Apple cuts USB-C dongle price over MacBook Pro complaints

short by Vani Vivek / 05:59 pm on 05 Nov 2016,Saturday

Apple is temporarily cutting prices of its USB-C adapters for connecting smartphones to its new MacBook Pro laptops following complaints about connectivity issues. The laptops only feature four USB-C ports and a headphone jack. "We recognize that many users rely on legacy connectors to get work done today... We want to help them move to the latest technology," said Apple.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:59 pm on 05 Nov

read more at VentureBeat

Microsoft worked on concept like Apple Touch Bar in 1999

short by Vani Vivek / 05:24 pm on 05 Nov 2016,Saturday

Technology giant Microsoft started working on the technology for an 'adaptive keyboard' that changes the function keys displayed depending on the application in use in 1999. The prototype featured on Microsoft's blog uses a touch-sensitive display strip above the keyboard. Microsoft rival Apple unveiled its latest MacBook Pro notebooks with a similar 'Touch Bar' feature last week.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:24 pm on 05 Nov

read more at The Next Web

Google DeepMind to develop StarCraft AI player

short by Satyaki Das / 05:18 pm on 05 Nov 2016,Saturday

Google's DeepMind artificial intelligence (AI) project has announced a partnership with game developer Blizzard to develop AI players for the 'StarCraft II' video game. Blizzard will release an API early next year that will allow researchers and hobbyists around the world to build and train their own AI agents to play StarCraft II, a DeepMind scientist said.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:18 pm on 05 Nov

read more at Engadget

Intel's light show with 500 drones sets world record

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:11 pm on 05 Nov 2016,Saturday

Intel on Friday set a world record for the Most Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) airborne simultaneously, by setting off 500 drones in the sky for a light show. Each fitted with an LED light, the drones moved as a single fleet, operated by one person with a laptop. The drones formed the number '500' and Intel's logo in the sky.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:11 pm on 05 Nov

read more at YouTube

Man adds Amazon Echo speaker to a rubber fish

short by Satyaki Das / 05:10 pm on 05 Nov 2016,Saturday

An artist named Brian Kane has demonstrated his latest creation, a rubber 'singing' fish with Amazon's Echo speaker stuffed inside, complete with Amazon's Alexa voice assisting functionality. Kane's Facebook post features a video of the 'Big Mouth Billy Bass' responding to questions about the weather conditions in Cambridge.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:10 pm on 05 Nov

read more at Video

Samsung cutting off mobile network access to Note 7 in NZ

short by Vani Vivek / 05:07 pm on 05 Nov 2016,Saturday

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 owners will not be able to connect to any mobile network in New Zealand starting November 18. Users of the recalled Note 7 smartphones will be able to connect to WiFi but not make calls, send texts, or access 3G or 4G mobile internet. The move is aimed at encouraging users to exchange their now-discontinued devices.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:07 pm on 05 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

Adobe's Project VoCo modifies speech in anyone's voice

short by Satyaki Das / 04:43 pm on 05 Nov 2016,Saturday

At its annual MAX event, Adobe demonstrated its upcoming audio tool codenamed 'Project VoCo,' that lets users generate 'authentic-sounding' speech in anyone's voice based on a small sample. After feeding a speech clip, the software allows editing that speech to deliver natural results. Words that weren't part of the original sample file can also be added.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:43 pm on 05 Nov

read more at The Next Web

Google Capital changes its name to 'CapitalG'

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:25 pm on 05 Nov 2016,Saturday

Google Capital, the search giant's venture arm that invests in growth-stage companies, has changed its name to 'CapitalG'. The old GoogleCapital.com domain now forwards to CapitalG.com, and Google Capital's Twitter account has announced that it’s being retired in favour of a new @CapitalGTweets account. CapitalG’s new site confirms a previously unmentioned detail that it has invested in Snapchat.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:25 pm on 05 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

Three Apple employees quit to join Tesla, Ford

short by Vani Vivek / 03:23 pm on 05 Nov 2016,Saturday

Three members of Apple's communications team have quit to join car companies Tesla and Ford in the past few weeks. This comes after it was rumoured that Apple has decided to scale back its plans to make an autonomous car under its Project Titan. The team working on Apple's self-driving vehicles has been given a deadline of late 2017.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:23 pm on 05 Nov

read more at The Verge

Video shows Tesla battery exploding after crash

short by Vani Vivek / 02:50 pm on 05 Nov 2016,Saturday

A one-minute video shows the lithium-ion battery of a Tesla Model S exploding like fireworks after the car crashed into a tree. The collision, which took place on Thursday in the US, killed the driver and passenger. "Some of the smaller cells that had broken apart began firing off almost like projectiles," said a fire department representative.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:50 pm on 05 Nov

read more at YouTube

Samsung leads in South Korea despite Note 7 crisis

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:49 pm on 05 Nov 2016,Saturday

Samsung, which has lost more than $6 billion following the Galaxy Note 7 crisis, is at the top of Kospi index, the South Korean market index. Samsung has rebounded to a level where the company’s influence in the benchmark index is nearly the greatest in three years. Samsung has lost $26 billion of its market value after Note 7 recall.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:49 pm on 05 Nov

read more at Bloomberg

85% of recalled Note 7 phones in US replaced: Samsung

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:36 pm on 05 Nov 2016,Saturday

Samsung has said about 85% of recalled Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in the US have been replaced. It is also launching a software patch in the US, which limits Note 7's charging to 60%, and frequently notifies users of the recall. The Note 7 users can either exchange their device for another Samsung phone or get a refund.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:36 pm on 05 Nov

read more at Bloomberg

Post Note 7 crisis, Samsung recalls 28 lakh washing machines

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:33 pm on 04 Nov 2016,Friday

After the worldwide recall of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones over exploding batteries, Samsung has recalled 28 lakh top-load washing machines in the US that pose a risk of injury. This comes after consumers reported excessive vibration in the washing machines and that the top detached from the chassis. Nine injuries, including a broken jaw and an injured shoulder, were reported.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:33 pm on 04 Nov

read more at Reuters

Artificial Intelligence will take down internet: Elon Musk

short by Vani Vivek / 08:54 pm on 04 Nov 2016,Friday

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and space exploration startup SpaceX, on Thursday tweeted that it's "only a matter of time before advanced Artifical Intelligence is used to" take down the internet. His tweet came in response to an article on the recent cyber attack that took down major websites like Twitter, Reddit, and Amazon.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:54 pm on 04 Nov

read more at YouTube

Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch will be costlier than Apple Watch

short by Vani Vivek / 07:16 pm on 04 Nov 2016,Friday

Gear S3, the latest smartwatch by electronics major Samsung, will cost $350 (₹23,370) while an entry-level Apple Watch Series 1 is priced at $269 (₹18,000). The smartwatch, which will launch on November 18, will run on Samsung's operating system Tizen. Gear S3 will have 786 MB RAM, 4 GB storage and will reportedly last about 3-4 days on one charge.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:16 pm on 04 Nov

read more at Mashable

China unveils drone that flies for 2 days without refuelling

short by Vani Vivek / 07:09 pm on 04 Nov 2016,Friday

China has unveiled its largest unmanned aerial vehicle 'CH-5' which can stay airborne for up to 50 hours without the need to refuel. The drone has a wingspan of 21 metres and will have a flight range of 20,000 km. It will be able to carry about 1,000 kg of equipment and up to 24 missiles, reported Chinese state media.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:09 pm on 04 Nov

read more at Bloomberg

Huawei wants to beat Apple in two years

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:02 pm on 04 Nov 2016,Friday

Chinese smartphone maker Huawei's Consumer Business Group CEO Richard Yu on Thursday said that his company wants to beat Apple in selling smartphones in two years. "We are going to take Apple step-by-step, innovation-by-innovation", said Yu. Huawei is the world's third-largest smartphone maker, behind Apple and world leader Samsung.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:02 pm on 04 Nov

read more at Reuters

EU's case against us lacks evidence, says Google

short by Vani Vivek / 05:32 pm on 04 Nov 2016,Friday

Google on Thursday rejected charges by the European Union of unfairly promoting its shopping service and blocking advertising rivals and said that the case "lacks evidence". The technology giant's response comes six years after EU opened the investigation prompted by complaints from Google's rivals like Microsoft. If found guilty of breaching EU rules, Google might be fined $7.4 billion.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:32 pm on 04 Nov

read more at Reuters

Self-driving cars won’t work in India: Maruti Chairman

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:56 pm on 04 Nov 2016,Friday

Maruti Suzuki Chairman RC Bhargava in an interview said that self-driving cars won't work in India as “nobody obeys any of the driving rules”. He added, "How will you devise a technology that will predict customer behaviour? Nobody can predict customer behaviour". Bhargava. however, said that he'd love to see people put self-driving technology to use in Indian driving conditions.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:56 pm on 04 Nov

read more at The Financial Express

New Ford software will automatically change car direction

short by Vani Vivek / 04:41 pm on 04 Nov 2016,Friday

Ford has announced the development of features like 'evasive steering' that will change the direction of the car if it predicts an accident through its radar system. The cars will be able to park themselves without the driver's input and give audio and visual warnings if they sense wrong-way driving. Additionally, the headlight beam will automatically be widened at roundabouts.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:41 pm on 04 Nov

read more at YouTube

Facebook has more monthly users than India and US population

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:27 pm on 04 Nov 2016,Friday

Social media giant Facebook on Wednesday said its monthly user count is 179 crore users globally, which is higher than the combined population of India (133 crore) and the US (32 crore). As per the company's Q2 results, India has 15.5 crore monthly active users on the platform, more than that of the US. India is reportedly Facebook's biggest market.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:27 pm on 04 Nov

read more at VCCircle

Vero Moda launches earbuds with solid gold lion-head caps

short by Satyaki Das / 03:51 pm on 04 Nov 2016,Friday

Danish fashion major Vero Moda has launched a 'Forza' line of in-ear earphones that come with customisable 3D-printed caps, including a solid gold miniature lion's head. While the earphones' price range from $100 to $170 for the wireless model, the cap accessories can be chosen from acrylic to 10 precious metals including 14-karat gold and a $7,500 pure platinum option.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:51 pm on 04 Nov

read more at The Verge

Motorola launches contest to crowdsource modular accessories

short by Vani Vivek / 03:48 pm on 04 Nov 2016,Friday

Motorola on Thursday launched a contest to create modular accessories for its Moto Z phones called 'Moto Mods'. Contestants will have to build a prototype and fund it on Indiegogo from where ten ideas will be selected for potential investment of $1 million. Existing Moto Mods let users add movie projectors, speakers, cameras or extra battery packs to their phones.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:48 pm on 04 Nov

read more at Engadget

FBI launches investigation into own Twitter account: Report

short by Vani Vivek / 03:46 pm on 04 Nov 2016,Friday

US security service FBI has reportedly launched an internal investigation into one of its own Twitter accounts. FBI's Twitter account 'FBIRecordsVault' shared documents related to the US presidential candidates including information on Donald Trump's father and files from an investigation on Bill Clinton. It is illegal for FBI employees to use the department's resources to influence an election.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:46 pm on 04 Nov

read more at Engadget

Musk impersonator accuses Tesla of hacking Twitter account

short by Vani Vivek / 03:32 pm on 04 Nov 2016,Friday

Todd Katz, a former oil services firm executive who was sued for pretending to be Tesla CEO Elon Musk in an email, has accused Tesla of hacking his Twitter account. Katz also argued that the email sent was too "goofy" to be believed and "nobody who received this...grammatically deficient email ever believed that it really came from Elon Musk".

short by Vani Vivek / 03:32 pm on 04 Nov

read more at Bloomberg

Alphabet reveals hardware inventory numbers for first time

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:58 pm on 04 Nov 2016,Friday

In its latest filing for the third quarterly results, Google's parent company Alphabet revealed its inventory number for the first time ever, disclosing an inventory worth $559 million at the end of September. The inventory includes Google's latest devices including Pixel smartphones, Daydream View VR headsets, Google WiFi router and voice-activated speaker Google Home among others.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:58 pm on 04 Nov

read more at Bloomberg

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg loses $3.7 bn in 2 hours

short by Twishy Shahi / 02:08 pm on 04 Nov 2016,Friday

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg lost $3.7 billion from his net worth in two hours on Wednesday, as the social networking company’s shares fell by almost 7%. Even though Facebook posted strong quarterly results on Wednesday, the shares fell as top executives suggested that the company probably won’t be able to keep up with its pace of growth much longer.

short by Twishy Shahi / 02:08 pm on 04 Nov

read more at Forbes

Dubai testing drone detectors after airport intrusions

short by Yash Kumar / 09:00 am on 04 Nov 2016,Friday

Dubai is testing out ways to detect and track drones after a series of incursions disrupted air traffic at the country's main airport, officials said on Thursday. Notably, flying drones is banned near the airport, reportedly the world's busiest, with those breaking the law risking three years imprisonment and a fine of up to 100,000 dirhams (over ₹18 lakh).

short by Yash Kumar / 09:00 am on 04 Nov

read more at Reuters

Facebook shares register biggest drop in 9 months

short by Abhishek Bansal / 11:33 pm on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

Social networking giant Facebook's shares dropped by 5.5% on Thursday, the most in nine months, after executives suggested the company would not be able to maintain its pace of growth much longer. Facebook CFO announced revenue growth rates will come down "meaningfully" next year while capital expenditures will rise "substantially".

short by Abhishek Bansal / 11:33 pm on 03 Nov

read more at Bloomberg

SpiceJet bans carrying Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on flights

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:48 pm on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

Budget carrier SpiceJet on Thursday said that passengers are prohibited from carrying Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in hand, check-in baggages, and cargo. Aviation regulator DGCA had issued a fresh advisory on Galaxy Note 7 last month, asking passengers not to carry them onboard. The ban comes after several reports of device catching fire and its subsequent withdrawal by Samsung.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:48 pm on 03 Nov

Fitbit shares drop 30% over poor sales

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:31 pm on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

Wearable fitness-device maker Fitbit's shares dropped over 30% on Wednesday after revenue forecast for the quarter fell short of analysts' estimates. Fitbit forecast revenue of $725-$750 million for the holiday-shopping quarter, well below analysts' estimates of $985.1 million. The San Francisco-based company is facing increased competition from rivals, including Apple and Samsung.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:31 pm on 03 Nov

read more at VentureBeat

Twitter introduces Koffee With Karan emoji for new season

short by Daisy Mowke / 07:59 pm on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

Social networking site Twitter has created a special emoji for the fifth season of talk show 'Koffee With Karan'. The emoji, which is a yellow coffee mug, will be activated by using the hashtags #KoffeeWithKaran, #KWKonSW and #KWK. The show will also announce a new hashtag fashioned on the name of the celebrity guest every week.

short by Daisy Mowke / 07:59 pm on 03 Nov

read more at Hindustan Times

9 out of 10 smartphones shipped globally run on Android

short by Vani Vivek / 07:54 pm on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

According to research firm Strategy Analytics, nearly 9 out of 10 smartphones shipped globally in Q3 2016 run on Google's Android operating system. Out of the 375.4 million smartphone units sold in the quarter, 87.5% operate on Android and 12.1% operate on iOS. Operating systems made by BlackBerry, Microsoft and Samsung collectively make up under 1% of the smartphone market.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:54 pm on 03 Nov

read more at Google

Samsung reviewing ways to limit Note 7 environmental impact

short by Vani Vivek / 07:12 pm on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

South Korean electronics major Samsung on Thursday said that it was reviewing options to minimise the environmental impact from the firm's recall of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones. Environmental group Greenpeace had recently issued a statement demanding Samsung to find a way to reuse rare materials such as cobalt, gold, and tungsten from the discontinued smartphones.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:12 pm on 03 Nov

read more at Reuters

24-inch portable display that opens like umbrella made

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:05 pm on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

Texas-based startup Arovia has developed a high-resolution 24-inch screen that collapses & expands like an umbrella. Called the Spontaneous Pop-up Display (SPUD), the device uses a flexible polymer that can't get cracked and is also washable. SPUD can be connected to a smartphone, tablet or laptop and has four times more screen area than a 13-inch laptop screen.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:05 pm on 03 Nov

read more at The Verge

Why Apple killed the SD card slot on the new MacBook Pro

short by Vani Vivek / 05:53 pm on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller in an interview disclosed why the company removed the SD card slot, which is used for reading camera memory cards, from its latest MacBook Pro notebooks. "It's a bit of a cumbersome slot," he said adding that many cameras in the market were now incorporating wireless transfer technology and didn't require the slot.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:53 pm on 03 Nov

read more at The Next Web

Online orders for new MacBook Pro hit highest ever mark

short by Vani Vivek / 05:51 pm on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller has said that the company has had more online orders for the new MacBook Pro lineup than any other Apple Pro notebook before. While the notebooks haven't launched in India yet, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is listed at ₹1,29,900. The 13-inch and 15-inch variants with the Touch Bar will cost ₹1,55,900 and ₹2,05,900 respectively.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:51 pm on 03 Nov

E-skateboard owners told to stop riding over battery heating

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:44 pm on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

Electric-skateboards maker Boosted has warned its users to stop riding and charging its second-generation devices while the company investigates an issue with its batteries. The batteries were reported to have 'vented' in two separate instances, showing signs of smoke and unusually high heat. Users who have pre-ordered the Boosted Board 2 have also been alerted that the shipments are halted.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:44 pm on 03 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

HoloLens-equipped 'mixed reality' military helmets made

short by Satyaki Das / 05:05 pm on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

Ukrainian firm Limpid Armor has developed HoloLens-equipped military helmets for tank commanders to monitor surroundings by 'turning their heads'. Dubbed the Circular Review System (CRS), the helmet sports a HoloLens headset set onto the front of its frame. Video feeds from the tank's exterior cameras are stitched together and displayed through the headset as "mixed reality" view to the wearer.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:05 pm on 03 Nov

read more at Engadget

Security camera uses AI to tell apart humans from animals

short by Satyaki Das / 04:59 pm on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

French smart device maker Netatmo has launched 'Presence', a security camera with built-in artificial intelligence (AI) that helps it distinguish between people, cars, and animals. Priced around $300, the WiFi enabled camera can be set up to record only when it detects a specific object, like a car, and send a notification to the user's phone via an app.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:59 pm on 03 Nov

read more at YouTube

Microsoft launches group messaging service to rival Slack

short by Vani Vivek / 04:20 pm on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

Microsoft on Wednesday launched 'Microsoft Teams', a chat tool for businesses. The messaging service integrates Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Skype into the platform. Microsoft Teams, which will be offered to the 85 million monthly users of Microsoft's Office 365 software suite, will rival communication app Slack which was founded in 2009 and the newly-launched Facebook Workplace service.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:20 pm on 03 Nov

read more at VentureBeat

Twitter India Managing Director Parminder Singh quits

short by Vani Vivek / 04:15 pm on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

Twitter's Managing Director for India, South-East Asia, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Parminder Singh on Wednesday announced his decision to quit the company after three years of service. This comes days after Twitter India head Rishi Jaitly announced his departure. Twitter's employee Maya Hari will take over Singh's position as Managing Director for India and South-East Asia.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:15 pm on 03 Nov

LinkedIn launches salary comparison tool

short by Vani Vivek / 03:18 pm on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

Business networking service LinkedIn on Wednesday launched 'Salary', a tool that allows users to check the salaries generally being paid in their field of work. For a given job title, the tool details base salary with annual bonus, top-paying companies, and required educational qualifications. The tool also lets users calculate the expected salary based on future work experience.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:18 pm on 03 Nov

read more at YouTube

Time spent in mobile apps to grow 114% by 2020

short by Vani Vivek / 03:12 pm on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

According to a report by market research firm App Annie, the time consumers spend in apps is expected to increase 114% by 2020. Apps pertaining to categories like shopping and transportation will see a three-fold hike in time spent. The app market in itself is expected to grow 270%, from $70 billion in 2015 to $189 billion by 2020.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:12 pm on 03 Nov

read more at VentureBeat

Facebook net income rises 166% to $2.37 billion

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:06 pm on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

Social media giant Facebook on Wednesday reported a net income of $2.37 billion for the quarter ended September, up 166% over the year-ago period. The company's revenue also surged 59% to $7.01 billion. Notably, over a billion people now use Facebook daily on mobile, and the service is closing in on 2 billion monthly active users.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:06 pm on 03 Nov

read more at Facebook

LinkedIn, govt sign MoU to create more jobs for students

short by Ankur Vyas / 11:08 am on 03 Nov 2016,Thursday

Global professional network LinkedIn has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Human Resource Development Ministry to create more job opportunities for Indian students. LinkedIn's 'Placements' product will be adopted by all Indian colleges affiliated with AICTE, the company said. 'Placements' provides direct access to job openings to students regardless of their location or college.

short by Ankur Vyas / 11:08 am on 03 Nov

US once connected 1760 PlayStations to build supercomputer

short by Abhishek Bansal / 11:23 pm on 02 Nov 2016,Wednesday

US Air Force developed a supercomputer in 2010 with a core made of 1,760 Sony PlayStation 3 consoles and was the fastest interactive computer in the US Defense Department at that time. The supercomputer was capable of analyzing ultra-high-resolution images at billions of pixels per minute. The project cost $2 million, about 5-10% cost of a similar conventional system.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 11:23 pm on 02 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

Mobile internet users surpass desktop for 1st time

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:25 pm on 02 Nov 2016,Wednesday

For the first time in history, mobile and tablet devices accounted for 51.3% of internet usage in October compared to 48.7% by desktop globally, according to internet monitoring firm StatCounter. In 2010, less than 5% people accessed the internet via mobiles. In India, 78.05% used mobile internet, 21.18% used desktops, while 0.76% people used tablets to access the internet.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:25 pm on 02 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

Facebook staff put posters in office questioning diversity

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:12 pm on 02 Nov 2016,Wednesday

Some Facebook employees have put a series of posters at its Menlo Park office, which questions the cultural inclusion or diversity of employees at the company. The posters imply that there’s no talent in places like Africa and South America. While one poster describes a content strategist as "meek and unassuming", another describes UX researchers as "dry, dour, humorless beasts".

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:12 pm on 02 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

Hyundai to let users make calls by pointing at windscreen

short by Vani Vivek / 08:35 pm on 02 Nov 2016,Wednesday

Automaker Hyundai has partnered with Seoul-based startup VTouch to commercially produce gesture-based heads-up displays (HUDs) by the end of 2017. The display above the dashboard will let drivers browse through music, make calls or set navigation just by making gestures with their fingers towards the windscreen. BMW recently unveiled a similar concept called 'AirTouch' for its 7 Series.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:35 pm on 02 Nov

read more at Mashable

Harvard team builds cigarette-smoking robot

short by Vani Vivek / 08:20 pm on 02 Nov 2016,Wednesday

A team of Harvard scientists has built a chain-smoking robot to study lung diseases in humans. The robot can be fitted with 12 cigarettes at once and can be programmed to 'inhale' at different intensities and frequencies. The smoke is passed through a channel of living lung cells from patients with lung diseases to observe how they react to smoke.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:20 pm on 02 Nov

read more at YouTube

Samsung executives kneel to apologise for Note 7 explosions

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:03 pm on 02 Nov 2016,Wednesday

South Korean smartphone maker Samsung recently held an event for its distributors in China where 20 company executives took to the stage and kneeled down to apologise for Galaxy Note 7 explosions. The gesture, however, was not welcomed in China, where thousands of people went angry and claimed that Samsung executives have shown disrespect for Chinese culture by kneeling.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:03 pm on 02 Nov

read more at Google

Israeli startup makes camera strap for Apple Watch

short by Vani Vivek / 07:19 pm on 02 Nov 2016,Wednesday

Israel-based technology startup Glide has created a $249 (approx ₹16,600) camera-embedded band for the Apple Watch. The 'CMRA' band incorporates an 8-megapixel primary and 2-megapixel secondary camera. Glide has also developed a stand to charge both the Apple Watch and the CMRA band. Apple recently launched an Apple Watch series 2 variant with a Nike Sport rubber strap.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:19 pm on 02 Nov

read more at The Verge

Apple granted patent for foldable iPhone

short by Vani Vivek / 06:49 pm on 02 Nov 2016,Wednesday

Technology giant Apple has been granted a patent for a bendable or foldable phone. The patent mentions materials that could offer the desired flexibility to the smartphone and allow it to be folded in the middle like a case. Apple states the future device "may have a hinge or other bendable joint" along with an illustration in the patent.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:49 pm on 02 Nov

read more at Google

Largest operational telephone weighed 3,500 kg

short by Vani Vivek / 06:34 pm on 02 Nov 2016,Wednesday

The world's largest operational telephone was exhibited in 1988 to celebrate the 80th anniversary of an insurance company based in Netherlands. The phone was 8 feet 1 inch high, 19 feet 11 inches long, and weighed 3,500 kg. The handset, being 23 feet 5 inches long, had to be lifted by a crane to make a call.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:34 pm on 02 Nov

read more at YouTube

Indian makes game where players send Elon Musk to Mars

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:26 pm on 02 Nov 2016,Wednesday

Siddhartha Sahai, a BITS Pilani graduate, has created 'Musk2Mars' game which requires a player to send a cutout of SpaceX Founder Elon Musk from Earth to Mars. The game includes Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, self-driving cars, NASA, Iron Man and gorilla Harambe among other obstacles. Musk, in September this year, unveiled his plan to build a human colony on Mars.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:26 pm on 02 Nov

read more at YouTube

Startup makes $34 light bulb that can charge phones

short by Vani Vivek / 06:08 pm on 02 Nov 2016,Wednesday

California-based startup Mega Tiny Corporation has developed 'PowerBulb', a light bulb that can double as a charger. The LED bulb, which costs $34 (₹2,270), has two USB charging ports that can be used even when the light is off. The startup claims to use 'MegaSmart' charging technology that sends more power to the device when it senses a lower charge.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:08 pm on 02 Nov

read more at The Verge

Google adds Harry Potter spells to voice commands

short by Vani Vivek / 05:49 pm on 02 Nov 2016,Wednesday

Google has partnered with Warner Bros ahead of the release of the 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' movie to add Harry Potter-related spells to its voice commands. By activating 'OK Google' on an Android phone, users can say "Lumos" to turn the flashlight on and "Nox" to turn it off. Saying "Silencio" will silence the phone's ringer.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:49 pm on 02 Nov

read more at Google

Video compares charging time of iPhone 7, Pixel XL, S7 Edge

short by Vani Vivek / 05:46 pm on 02 Nov 2016,Wednesday

A six-minute YouTube video compares the time it takes for Apple's iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel XL and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge smartphones to charge from 1% to 100%. The Galaxy S7 Edge has a 3,600 mAh battery while the Google Pixel XL and iPhone 7 Plus have a 3,450 mAh and 2,900 mAh battery respectively.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:46 pm on 02 Nov

read more at YouTube

China plans fastest commercial train at 600 kmph

short by Vani Vivek / 05:41 pm on 02 Nov 2016,Wednesday

The China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) has announced plans to build the world's fastest commercial train with a top speed of 600 kmph using magnetic levitation technology. Shanghai Maglev, the fastest train currently operational, can travel at 430 kmph. Japan recently tested a train faster than 600 kmph but it will not be ready for commercial use until 2027.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:41 pm on 02 Nov

read more at The Next Web

TRAI sets 512 kbps as minimum broadband speed in India

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:23 pm on 02 Nov 2016,Wednesday

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) doubled the minimum broadband speed and fixed it to 512 kbps from the previously mandated 256 kbps speed. Internet service providers will have to ensure that the speed of broadband connections does not go below 512 kbps in any circumstance, TRAI said. The government earlier wanted 2 mbps as the minimum broadband speed.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:23 pm on 02 Nov

read more at India Today

New MIT tech helps machines explain basis of their decisions

short by Rini Kapoor / 05:07 pm on 02 Nov 2016,Wednesday

MIT researchers have devised a new training technique that would reveal the basis for a computer's decision-making process, enabling the neural networks to explain the rationale behind their decisions. Researchers trained the neural nets on textual data to rank beers and found that they rated beers based on aroma and appearance, in almost the same way as humans.

short by Rini Kapoor / 05:07 pm on 02 Nov

read more at Engadget

Instagram to start testing shoppable photo tags

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:05 pm on 02 Nov 2016,Wednesday

Facebook-owned photo and video sharing platform, Instagram will start testing tags on photos that will let iOS users in the US to buy products from 20 retail brands. Instagram will let retailers tag products in their photos with the product's price, tapping on which will lead the users to the retailers' website to buy the product.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:05 pm on 02 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

Tim Cook first became Apple CEO for two months

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:00 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Apple CEO Tim Cook first served at the post for two months in 2004, when the company's Co-founder Steve Jobs was recovering from pancreatic cancer surgery. Cook again led the company for several months in 2009, while Jobs underwent a liver transplant. Cook, who was born on November 1, 1960, was ultimately appointed the CEO in 2011 after Jobs' death.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:00 pm on 01 Nov

read more at The Next Web

Tim Cook had offered his liver to Steve Jobs in 2009

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:26 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly offered a part of his liver to Steve Jobs, who was suffering from a type of pancreatic cancer in 2009, as per a biography on Jobs. The offer for the transplant was rejected by the Apple Co-founder, who died of cancer in 2011. Cook was born on November 1, 1960.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:26 pm on 01 Nov

read more at Google

Tim Cook's first job was as a newspaper delivery boy

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:09 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Apple CEO Tim Cook's first paying job was delivering newspapers as a teenager in his hometown. Cook had also reportedly worked at a paper mill and an aluminum plant before getting into the tech space. Cook, who turned 56 on Tuesday, worked at technology giants IBM and Compaq Computer Corporation before he joined Apple in 1998.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:09 pm on 01 Nov

read more at Google

New Microsoft ad was shot using Xbox controller

short by Vani Vivek / 08:03 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

The new Microsoft ad showcasing the technology major's recently unveiled Surface Studio all-in-one PC was shot using a robotic arm and an Xbox controller. Microsoft made use of KIRA, a robotic camera arm that was connected to a Windows app and controlled it using the Xbox One Elite controller to focus, iris, and zoom for every shot.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:03 pm on 01 Nov

read more at YouTube

BlackBerry partners with Ford to make 'cars of the future'

short by Vani Vivek / 07:57 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Canadian technology company BlackBerry has partnered with American automaker Ford to make 'cars of the future' by providing software to help develop self-driving cars. BlackBerry has previously worked with startups to develop technology that brakes a car automatically when it spots something in its path. Ford has announced plans of selling 1,00,000 self-driven taxis by 2021.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:57 pm on 01 Nov

read more at Reuters

Nexus 6P users report battery issues post Android 7.0 update

short by Vani Vivek / 07:53 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Some users of Google's Huawei-made Nexus 6P smartphones have complained of "battery failure" after installing the Android 7.0 Nougat update on their phones. A user posted a YouTube video demonstrating how his phone shutdown while at 53% battery and could only be switched on after plugging a power cable. Google had started rolling out Android 7.0 update in August.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:53 pm on 01 Nov

Puma self-lacing shoes can be tightened through smartphones

short by Vani Vivek / 07:46 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

The self-lacing Autodisc shoes made by German athletic apparel maker Puma can be connected to a smartphone to adjust tightness and monitor battery levels. The shoes can be charged by placing the heels on an accompanying wireless-charging mat until the indicators stop blinking. Puma has made only 50 pairs of the Autodisc shoes.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:46 pm on 01 Nov

read more at Engadget

Note 7 crisis served momentum for new start: Samsung Co-CEO

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:25 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

South Korean Electronics major Samsung Co-CEO Kwon Oh-hyun while addressing 400 employees on company's 47th founding anniversary on Tuesday said, "The Note 7 crisis made us look back at ourselves and think maybe we have grown complacent, and it served as momentum for a new start". He urged Samsung to develop a thorough crisis-management system to respond better to issues.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:25 pm on 01 Nov

read more at Bloomberg

Google warns users of bug in Microsoft Windows 10

short by Vani Vivek / 07:25 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Google on Monday published a blog warning users of a previously unknown security vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10. Google went public about the bug just 10 days after reporting it to Microsoft, before a patch could be deployed. According to Google, a similar vulnerability was reported to Adobe and the company has since issued a patch for the same.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:25 pm on 01 Nov

read more at VentureBeat

Google Street View gives tour of world's spookiest places

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:23 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

On the occasion of Halloween, Google Street View has shared a post where it gives a visual tour of the world's most haunted places. The places include Amsterdam Dungeons, Winchester Mystery House in the US, Singapore's Haw Par Villa and the Cemetery of Dissidents in Chile. During the visual tour, actors portray some of Amsterdam's most scariest tales.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:23 pm on 01 Nov

read more at Google

Sony net income falls 85.7% in September quarter

short by Mansha Mahajan / 05:52 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Japanese electronics major Sony on Tuesday reported an 85.7% fall in net income for the quarter ended September to $48 million, as against the previous year period. The firm's operating income also fell by 48% to $453 million. The weak results were partially due to a drop in smartphone sales and a reduction in profits from image sensors, Sony said.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 05:52 pm on 01 Nov

read more at Reuters

Mark Zuckerberg shares his family's Halloween picture

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:47 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday shared a picture of his family dressed up for Halloween, which included his wife Priscilla Chan, daughter Max and dog Beast. Zuckerberg titled the picture "A family of vikings, a sheep (Beast) and one adorable little dragon (Max)". The family's costumes were inspired by the fantasy movie 'How to Train Your Dragon'.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:47 pm on 01 Nov

read more at Facebook

Touchscreen on Mac won't be useful: Apple's Design Head

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:04 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Technology giant Apple's Chief Design Officer Jonathan Ive while talking about the possibility of a touchscreen on the Mac in a recent interview said, "We just didn’t feel that the Mac was the right place for multitouch...It wasn’t particularly useful or an appropriate application of multitouch". Notably, Apple's new MacBook Pro laps have a multitouch 'Touch Bar' on the keyboard.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:04 pm on 01 Nov

read more at The Next Web

Many women executives quit Yahoo after sale announcement

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:04 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Women executives at search engine major Yahoo quit at an unusually high rate after the company announced its plans to sell itself to Verizon for $4.8 billion earlier this year. Women in Yahoo leadership roles slipped to 21% from 24% in June y-o-y. The drop comes as Silicon Valley faces pressure to diversify workforce dominated by white and Asian men.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:04 pm on 01 Nov

read more at Reuters

Twitter India head Rishi Jaitly quits

short by Vani Vivek / 03:59 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Twitter India head Rishi Jaitly, who is also Vice President of Twitter's Asia Pacific and Middle East business, on Tuesday announced he will leave the company following four years of service. His announcement has come a week after Twitter said it was laying off 9% of its global workforce. Previously, Jaitly was the Head of Public-Private Partnerships at Google India.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:59 pm on 01 Nov

read more at TechCrunch

$20 billion startup Palantir wins lawsuit against US Army

short by Vani Vivek / 03:43 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Peter Thiel-backed software startup Palantir, which was last valued at $20 billion, on Monday won its lawsuit against the US Army. Palantir alleged that the Army didn't research commercially available products before awarding contracts for its combat data system as the law required. The verbal ruling allows the company to be eligible for the $200 million contract.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:43 pm on 01 Nov

read more at Bloomberg

Apple hikes MacBook prices in India by up to ₹10,000

short by Vani Vivek / 03:42 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Technology giant Apple has revised the retail price of its 12-inch MacBook laptops in India. The price of the 256 GB base MacBook model has been increased by ₹6,000 to ₹1,12,900. The variant with 512 GB storage has been hiked to ₹1,39,000 from ₹1,29,000. The price of the existing Apple Mac lineup remains unchanged in India.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:42 pm on 01 Nov

read more at Mashable

Seagate launches 512GB solid state drive for Xbox One

short by Satyaki Das / 12:41 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Storage device manufacturer Seagate has launched a 512 GB solid state hard drive for Microsoft's Xbox One gaming console. The Seagate Game Drive uses flash storage for faster booting, reduced waiting time at the games' welcome screens and faster transitions between levels. The drive will be available on Amazon with a price tag of $200.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:41 pm on 01 Nov

read more at VentureBeat

Korg launches new synthesiser app for iOS

short by Satyaki Das / 12:11 pm on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Japanese musical electronics maker, Korg has launched the ARP ODYSSEi app on iOS, the mobile version of its popular ARP Odyssey analog synthesiser. The $20 app features Korg's Circuit Modeling Technology that replicates the app's sound as accurately as possible to the physical device's sound, as well as new polyphony effects and a programmable arpeggiator.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:11 pm on 01 Nov

read more at YouTube

Samsung to launch mobile accessory suite worldwide

short by Satyaki Das / 11:49 am on 01 Nov 2016,Tuesday

Samsung is globally launching its suite of mobile accessories starting this month, meant for pairing with smartphones and tablets for entertainment and utility purposes. The range includes a wireless charging tray, kettle-shaped battery packs, a USB-powered LED light and in-ear headphones. Also included in the suite are wireless speakers, with one featuring a bottle design and 360-degree audio.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:49 am on 01 Nov

read more at Engadget

Toyota makes device that turns smartphone into car key

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:07 pm on 31 Oct 2016,Monday

Toyota has made a Bluetooth-enabled device called 'Smart Key Box' that allows users to unlock and start a car's engine by just using their smartphone. The device is aimed at people who want to share their vehicle to make money. A code on smartphone is sent via an app, which allows user to access the device acting like car's key.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:07 pm on 31 Oct

read more at The Verge

18 Vine stars asked for $1.2 mn each for making videos

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:10 pm on 31 Oct 2016,Monday

Twitter's short-form video sharing app Vine, which recently faced shutdown, was reportedly asked for $1.2 million each by 18 popular Vine stars to keep making videos. These users had also threatened to move to Vine's rival platforms if the amount was not paid to them. Vine, however, turned down the deal, which reportedly caused the platform to shut down.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:10 pm on 31 Oct

read more at Engadget

Indian students make device that detects panic, sends SOS

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:42 pm on 31 Oct 2016,Monday

Four Indian engineering students have created a working prototype of an earphone-like device 'NeuroBuds', which detects when a user panics, and sends an SOS alert or a call for help. The device eliminates the need to physically make calls or press buttons on the smartphone. Once a panic signal is detected, a 10-second gap is given to dismiss an alert.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:42 pm on 31 Oct

read more at Hindustan Times

Walmart accidentally puts Google Home on shelves early

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:10 pm on 31 Oct 2016,Monday

US retail giant Walmart has accidentally put Google's voice-based smart home assistant 'Google Home' on its shelves, a week earlier than its official launch date of November 4. While many other retailers have the device in stock, none have put it on shelves yet. Priced at $129 (nearly ₹8,600), Google Home can play music, manage house tasks and answer queries.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:10 pm on 31 Oct

read more at Google

India to surpass China as OnePlus' biggest market in 2017

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:11 pm on 31 Oct 2016,Monday

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus' Co-founder and CEO Pete Lau in an interview said, "In 2017, we expect India to surpass China as our biggest market". OnePlus will be opening a manufacturing plant in India and is set to finalise the location soon. While OnePlus sells its products only online, it is about to open an offline experience centre in Bengaluru.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:11 pm on 31 Oct

read more at The Financial Express

iPhone 7 Plus 'out of stock' in India over short supply

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:36 pm on 31 Oct 2016,Monday

The Apple iPhone 7 Plus is out of stock on Infibeam and Flipkart, the official online retailers for the iPhone 7 range in India. However, Apple Prime users can buy the 128GB version of the iPhone 7 Plus (Gold). Earlier this month, Apple CEO Tim Cook said he's unsure if the iPhone 7 Plus demand could be met this year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:36 pm on 31 Oct

Family sues Amazon after hoverboard burns their $1M home

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:53 pm on 31 Oct 2016,Monday

A US-based family has sued Amazon after a hoverboard purchased through the platform caught fire and burned their $1 million home down in January. The family, which is seeking $30 million in damages, alleges that Amazon knowingly sold the product despite knowing of its potential danger. Following a spate of explosions, hoverboards were banned and deemed unsafe earlier this year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:53 pm on 31 Oct

read more at Google

Apple's new MacBook Pros do not make iconic startup chime

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:57 pm on 31 Oct 2016,Monday

The new MacBook Pro laptops launched by Apple earlier this month, do not make the iconic chime while starting up. Apple had even filed a trademark for the sound. The new MacBook Pros boot up automatically when a user opens the lid, eliminating the need to press the power ON button.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:57 pm on 31 Oct

read more at Mashable

Technology to find sex of chickens before they hatch

short by Satyaki Das / 09:11 am on 31 Oct 2016,Monday

Texas-based egg manufacturer Vital Farms and Israel-based electronics firm Novatrans are partnering on TeraEgg, a technology that identifies the sex of a chicken before it hatches. The technique captures and uses terahertz spectroscopy to analyse the gas emanating from the pores of eggs. This could prevent the unnecessary hatching and killing of male chickens.

short by Satyaki Das / 09:11 am on 31 Oct

read more at Engadget

Not launching 64 GB Mi 5 in India a mistake: Hugo Barra

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:30 pm on 30 Oct 2016,Sunday

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi's Global Vice President Hugo Barra in a recent interview said, "It was a mistake not bringing the 64 GB Xiaomi Mi 5 to India. He added, "Maybe it would have taken some more time as the supply chain for the 64 GB was a couple of weeks behind, but that would have been the right decision."

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:30 pm on 30 Oct

read more at India Today

56-year-old creates 'Emoldjis' for elderly people

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:06 pm on 30 Oct 2016,Sunday

A 55-year-old British woman, Diane Hill has created a set of emojis called 'Emoldjis' to represent the elderly generation. The emojis depict memory pills, false teeth, backache, glasses, and family among other elderly people-related things. The woman has sent off the emojis for official approval from the Unicode Consortium, which regulates emoji updates.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:06 pm on 30 Oct

read more at Google

Tiny device lets hackers hijack and crash drones

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:55 pm on 30 Oct 2016,Sunday

Security researchers have created a tiny device called 'Icarus' that lets hackers take full control of drones remotely and make them crash. The device fetches the transmitter ID and technical details of a drone and shows it on an LED display attached to it. The device could potentially be used by law enforcement personnel to take down rogue drones.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:55 pm on 30 Oct

read more at YouTube

9-yr-old killed by truck driver playing Pokémon Go

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:50 pm on 30 Oct 2016,Sunday

A 9-year-old boy was on Friday ran over and killed in Japan by a truck driver who was playing Pokémon Go while driving. The driver reportedly did not see the boy as he was crossing the street. The driver has been arrested and he confessed that he typically keeps the game's app open while he drives.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:50 pm on 30 Oct

read more at Google

New smartphone claims to be 'explosion-proof'

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:39 pm on 30 Oct 2016,Sunday

US-based smartphone maker Elephone has launched a new phone 'S7' at ₹9,300, which the company claims to be 'explosion-proof'. It claims that the phone has triple protection against explosions, and if the phone is about to explode, it minimizes the damage that can be caused. Earlier this month, Samsung killed its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone over exploding batteries.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:39 pm on 30 Oct

read more at Google

New MacBook Pros do not have backlit Apple logo

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:20 pm on 30 Oct 2016,Sunday

Technology giant Apple's newly-launched MacBook Pro laptops do not have the iconic backlit company logo on its flap. The laptops have a black Apple logo on the Space Gray model and a white logo on the Silver model. A part of Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs' design philosophy, the company's first notebook with a lit-up Apple logo, was released in 1999.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:20 pm on 30 Oct

read more at Hindustan Times

GoDaddy builds search engine for available emoji web domains

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:45 pm on 30 Oct 2016,Sunday

Website domain provider GoDaddy has made a search engine that lets users check and register for available web domain names including emojis. Users can combine various emojis to make an emoji domain name for their website. The emoji domain names are 100% compatible with all browsers and the '.ws' extension is one of the very few extensions that support emojis.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:45 pm on 30 Oct

read more at Google

Israeli firm creates '100% more fuel efficient' car engine

short by Satyaki Das / 03:37 pm on 30 Oct 2016,Sunday

An Israeli firm named Aquarius Engines claims to have created an internal combustion engine with more than twice the efficiency of currently available alternatives. The $100 engine, which the firm says can allow cars to run up to 1,600 km on a full tank, replaces the traditional multiple-vertical piston engine with a novel single-horizontal piston design.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:37 pm on 30 Oct

read more at Phys

Motorola takes jibe at no headphone jack in iPhone 7

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:04 pm on 30 Oct 2016,Sunday

American smartphone maker Motorola in its new advertisement for modular phone Moto Z has taken a jibe at no headphone jack in rival Apple's iPhone 7. Motorola claims in the advertisement that smartphones haven't changed since 2007 and says, "The camera got a little better, the headphone jack moved". Notably, the iPhone 7 does not have a headphone jack.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:04 pm on 30 Oct

read more at YouTube

Software to make reliable energy-harvesting computers

short by Satyaki Das / 03:00 pm on 30 Oct 2016,Sunday

Carnegie Mellon University researchers have created the first programming language to build reliable software for computers that operate by harvesting energy from their environment. The new language, called Chain, modifies the way computational operations manipulate the computer's memory, to ensure tasks execute correctly despite arbitrary power failures that occur in energy-harvesting devices.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:00 pm on 30 Oct

read more at YouTube

Scientists teach Morse code through Google Glass in 4 hours

short by Vani Vivek / 02:17 pm on 30 Oct 2016,Sunday

US-based researchers have developed a system that teaches people Morse code within four hours using Google's smart headset, Google Glass. The system delivered a series of vibrations near the ear to participants who played games while feeling the taps and hearing the corresponding letters. Participants were able to write codes for every letter with 98% accuracy after the experiment.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:17 pm on 30 Oct

read more at YouTube

Google defines Hero as 'typically a man admired for courage'

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:34 pm on 30 Oct 2016,Sunday

Google's definition of the word 'Hero' still highlights a male and reads, 'a person, typically a man, who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities'. Oxford, however, defines hero as 'a person admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities'. Google allows users to leave feedback on its definitions through an option below the definition box.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:34 pm on 30 Oct

read more at Mashable

Repairing MacBook Pro's Touch Bar to cost over ₹13,000

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:29 pm on 30 Oct 2016,Sunday

The cost of repairing the Touch Bar or the multi-touch glass strip in the keyboard of Apple's newly-launched MacBook Pro laptops will cost over ₹13,000. This is more expensive than getting a regular MacBook's keyboard repaired. The new MacBook Pros also have a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, positioned right next to the Touch Bar.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:29 pm on 30 Oct

read more at Mashable

Firm makes $40 cable to add 'MagSafe' to new MacBooks

short by Vani Vivek / 01:27 pm on 30 Oct 2016,Sunday

US electronics firm Griffin has made a magnetic cable that can charge the new MacBook Pro laptops announced by Apple using the 'MagSafe' technology. The $40 (approx ₹2,600) cable can be used with any device that has a USB-C port including the Google Pixel lineup. Apple used the magnetic charging technology for a decade before announcing its discontinuation this week.

short by Vani Vivek / 01:27 pm on 30 Oct

read more at YouTube

Apple asks customer to prove he is not Saddam Hussein

short by Vani Vivek / 01:26 pm on 30 Oct 2016,Sunday

A British man named Sharakat Hussain was reportedly refused a refund for an iPhone unless he could prove he was not deceased Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. The man claims he received an email from Apple asking him to confirm he was not Saddam Hussein, who was on the government's 'Denied Parties' list. Apple has reportedly agreed to the refund now.

short by Vani Vivek / 01:26 pm on 30 Oct

read more at Daily Mail

Facebook launches spooky reactions for Halloween

short by Pragya Swastik / 12:41 pm on 30 Oct 2016,Sunday

Social networking platform Facebook has launched limited-edition spooky reactions for its users in select countries ahead of the Halloween. The reactions include a cackling witch, a ghost and Frankenstein's monster among others. Facebook has also launched a variety of spooky masks for the live videos in the US, UK and New Zealand.

short by Pragya Swastik / 12:41 pm on 30 Oct

read more at Facebook

Iran unveils new amphibious suicide drone

short by Yash Kumar / 11:25 pm on 29 Oct 2016,Saturday

Iran has unveiled a drone for "suicide" missions against land and sea-based targets for the second time this month, according to media reports. The reports added that the unmanned aerial vehicle, designed primarily for maritime surveillance, can carry "heavy payloads of explosives for combat missions". Reportedly, the stealth drone is also capable of flying at low heights to avoid detection.

short by Yash Kumar / 11:25 pm on 29 Oct

read more at Google

Apple launches smartwatch with Nike at ₹32,900

short by Vani Vivek / 08:19 pm on 29 Oct 2016,Saturday

Apple on Thursday launched the Apple Watch Nike+ which pairs the Apple Watch Series 2 with a Nike Sport band. The GPS-enabled smartwatch can track different movements like running, biking, yoga, class-based fitness sessions and weights. The smartwatch costs ₹32,900 for the version with a 38mm dial and ₹34,900 for the larger 42mm variant.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:19 pm on 29 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Personal details of 550k Red Cross blood donors leaked

short by Vani Vivek / 08:16 pm on 29 Oct 2016,Saturday

The personal data of over half a million Australian Red Cross blood donors was compromised on Friday. Australian Red Cross CEO Shelly Park said that the data was left unsecured by a contractor who maintains Red Cross' website. The information includes whether the individual had taken drugs or engaged in "at-risk" sexual behaviour like sex work and gay sex.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:16 pm on 29 Oct

read more at The Guardian

Teen crashes into police car while taking Snapchat selfie

short by Vani Vivek / 08:14 pm on 29 Oct 2016,Saturday

A 19-year-old student from Texas collided with a parked police car while taking a topless Snapchat selfie. The police department tweeted on Thursday, "Don't Drink and Drive! Don't #snapchat photos to your boyfriend and drive!" She was arrested on the suspicion of driving while intoxicated and later released on a bond of $2,000.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:14 pm on 29 Oct

read more at Twitter

Facebook faces flak for 'ethnic affinity' ad targeting tool

short by Vani Vivek / 08:03 pm on 29 Oct 2016,Saturday

Investigative journalism organisation ProPublica has claimed that the "ethnic affinity" advertising tool offered by Facebook to advertisers is illegal as it excludes people based on race. The tool can help target or exclude those users who are interested in stories and events that Facebook believes also interest a certain ethnic group like African-American.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:03 pm on 29 Oct

read more at Engadget

Apple hikes price of all Macs in UK by 25% over Brexit

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:27 pm on 29 Oct 2016,Saturday

Technology giant Apple has hiked the price of all of its Macs by as much as 25% in the UK to take account of currency fluctuations in the wake of the Brexit, or June referendum vote. Apple’s entry level Mac now costs $1156 in the UK — about $120 more expensive than it was just a few days ago.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:27 pm on 29 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

George Hotz cancels kit made to turn cars self-driving

short by Vani Vivek / 06:54 pm on 29 Oct 2016,Saturday

George Hotz, the hacker known for unlocking the first iPhone, has cancelled the kit developed by his startup Comma.ai, which could be fitted into cars to turn them self-driving. A US regulatory agency had asked Comma.ai for information regarding safety following which Hotz tweeted, "Would much rather spend my life building amazing tech than dealing with regulators...It isn't worth it."

short by Vani Vivek / 06:54 pm on 29 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Twitter users declare Microsoft as winner in innovation

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:48 pm on 29 Oct 2016,Saturday

Reacting to the new products unveiled by rivals Apple and Microsoft this week, Twitter users declared Microsoft as the winner in innovation. A user tweeted, "If I were running Apple, I'd get busy on the next great thing. PC wars are over...Microsoft won a long time ago". Another user tweeted, "Microsoft won this week. Their products show ambition and beauty".

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:48 pm on 29 Oct

read more at Tweet Collection

Microsoft charging $650 less on ditching MacBook for Surface

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:46 pm on 29 Oct 2016,Saturday

Microsoft is giving a limited-time discount of up to $650 in the US on exchanging rival Apple's MacBook Pro or MacBook Air laptops for the company's recently announced new Surface Book and Surface Pro laptops. In a blog post highlighting the utility of its laptop's on-screen touch and pen, Microsoft said, "You can't do that on a Mac".

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:46 pm on 29 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Mark Zuckerberg wishes Bill Gates on his birthday

short by Vani Vivek / 03:24 pm on 29 Oct 2016,Saturday

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Friday wished Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates on his 61st birthday by sharing a photo of the two together on Facebook. Zuckerberg captioned the photo with, "Happy birthday, Bill! Thanks for your friendship and here's to many more years of changing the world." In a 2013 conference, Zuckerberg called Gates his childhood hero.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:24 pm on 29 Oct

read more at Facebook

Google parent Alphabet hides math joke in earnings report

short by Vani Vivek / 03:24 pm on 29 Oct 2016,Saturday

While announcing its earnings for the quarter ended September, Google's parent firm Alphabet announced that it will repurchase $7,019,340,976.83 worth of its stock. The amount equals the number of letters in the English alphabet, 26, multiplied by mathematical constant "e" and $1 million. Alphabet is known to hide math puzzles in its earnings report and acquisition bids.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:24 pm on 29 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Samsung launches limited edition S7 Edge in Blue Coral

short by Vani Vivek / 03:23 pm on 29 Oct 2016,Saturday

South Korean electronics major Samsung has launched a limited edition Blue Coral variant of its Galaxy S7 Edge in Taiwan and Singapore. The colour had debuted on Samsung's now-discontinued Galaxy Note 7 smartphones. The S7 Edge, which has a 5.5-inch curved screen display and 12-megapixel rear-facing camera, was launched in India at ₹56,900 in March 2016.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:23 pm on 29 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Apple will no longer make external monitors

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:08 pm on 29 Oct 2016,Saturday

Apple has said that it's "out of the standalone display business", confirming that the company will no longer make its own external display monitors. Apple has instead designed two new monitors of 4K and 5K displays with South Korean electronics maker LG, which will be available later this year. The brightness of the displays will be adjustable through Mac.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:08 pm on 29 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Elon Musk unveils solar roof made of glass tiles

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:05 pm on 29 Oct 2016,Saturday

Tesla Co-founder and CEO Elon Musk unveiled a solar roof made up of glass tiles on Friday. Made jointly with SolarCity, a solar company that Musk seeks to acquire, the tiles have been designed in four styles and cost less than conventional solar panels. It can also incorporate heating elements to clear the roof of snow and keep generating energy.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:05 pm on 29 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Indian languages support on mobiles mandatory from Jul '17

short by Ankur Vyas / 02:43 pm on 29 Oct 2016,Saturday

The Government has made the support for Indian languages mandatory in all mobile phones to be sold in the country from July 2017. The new standard mandates mobile phone companies to provide message typing facility in English, Hindi and a regional language. Further, text reading support would have to be provided in all Indian languages.

short by Ankur Vyas / 02:43 pm on 29 Oct

read more at India Today

ISRO aims world record with 83 satellites on single rocket

short by Tarun Khanna / 12:36 pm on 29 Oct 2016,Saturday

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that it is aiming for a world record by launching 83 satellites into the orbit on a single rocket in early 2017. The rocket will launch two Indian and 81 foreign satellites into space. The total payload/weight carried off into space by the PSLV-XL rocket will be around 1,600 kg.

short by Tarun Khanna / 12:36 pm on 29 Oct

read more at Hindustan Times

Bill Gates can eat at McDonald's worldwide for free

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:59 pm on 28 Oct 2016,Friday

American business magnate and world's richest man Bill Gates is a recipient of McDonald's lifetime Gold Card, that lets him eat at the fast-food chain worldwide for free. Microsoft Founder reportedly has cheeseburgers for lunch, and his hotel rooms are full of Diet Cokes. Interestingly, Gates' foundation had liquidated its share in McDonald's recently, selling all shares it held.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:59 pm on 28 Oct

read more at Google

Apple ditches MagSafe charger, adopts USB-C on MacBook

short by Vani Vivek / 07:06 pm on 28 Oct 2016,Friday

The new MacBook Pro computers unveiled by Apple on Thursday will ship without the magnetic MagSafe charging port that the company has been using for a decade. Instead, the laptops will have four USB-C ports to charge it and connect other devices. Users of Apple's iPhone smartphones will have to use a dongle to connect their phones to the laptops.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:06 pm on 28 Oct

read more at The Verge

First phone with Google Tango AR camera will ship on Nov 1

short by Vani Vivek / 07:02 pm on 28 Oct 2016,Friday

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, the first phone with Google's augmented reality technology, will start shipping from November 1. Through its depth-sensing Google Tango camera, the phone can map out physical spaces, track its own position in a room, and follow objects. Powered by a Snapdragon 652 processor, the 6.4-inch phone is priced at $499 (Approx ₹33,400).

short by Vani Vivek / 07:02 pm on 28 Oct

read more at YouTube

Don’t sell your company: Vine Co-founder on shutdown

short by Vani Vivek / 06:58 pm on 28 Oct 2016,Friday

Following Twitter's announcement that it was shutting down Vine, the video-sharing platform's Co-founder Rus Yusupov tweeted, "Don't sell your company!" Twitter had acquired Vine in 2012 for a reported $30 million. Yusupov was laid off by Twitter last year after Vine's other two Co-founders quit in 2014.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:58 pm on 28 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Video summarises Microsoft's event in 90 seconds

short by Vani Vivek / 06:58 pm on 28 Oct 2016,Friday

A 90-second video recaps the event hosted by technology major Microsoft on Wednesday. Microsoft announced the Surface Studio all-in-one PC, Surface Book i7 and Windows 10 Creators Update at the event. The company also updated its 31-year-old graphics software Paint, enabling it with 3D capabilities. The video ends with the tagline, "We are all creators".

short by Vani Vivek / 06:58 pm on 28 Oct

read more at YouTube

Pornhub offers to buy 6-second video app Vine from Twitter

short by Vani Vivek / 06:31 pm on 28 Oct 2016,Friday

Pornhub has reportedly sent a letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey offering to buy the video-sharing platform Vine. Twitter on Thursday announced that it will be shutting down the app that lets users share six-second-long looping videos. "Porn in six seconds is more than enough time for most people to enjoy themselves," wrote Pornhub's Vice President in the letter.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:31 pm on 28 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Twitter announces shutdown of video app Vine

short by Vani Vivek / 06:30 pm on 28 Oct 2016,Friday

Microblogging platform Twitter on Thursday announced that it will be shutting down Vine, a video-sharing service it had acquired in October 2012. The platform lets users share six-second-long looping video clips. While the app will be taken down in a few months, users will be able to access the already posted content on Vine's website.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:30 pm on 28 Oct

read more at Engadget

We miss you Steve Jobs, we miss innovation, tweets user

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:54 pm on 28 Oct 2016,Friday

Reacting to Apple's new MacBook Pro laptops with Touch Bar, a user tweeted, "After iPhone, the new MacBookPro echoes the truth: "We miss you Steve Jobs, we miss innovation". Another user tweeted, "Touch bar? Is that where Donald Trump goes to grope girls?" A user also tweeted, "Apple please do keep "innovating" by removing functionality from your devices".

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:54 pm on 28 Oct

read more at Tweet Collection

Video shows what Touch Bar does on new MacBook Pro

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:53 pm on 28 Oct 2016,Friday

Technology giant Apple on Thursday launched the new generation of its MacBook Pro laptops with Touch Bar replacing the function keys on keyboard. It allows photo and video editing, suggests text and emojis while typing, and lines up apps selected by the users for quick access. On opening the Safari browser, the Touch Bar shows the users their favourite websites.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:53 pm on 28 Oct

read more at YouTube

Google parent Alphabet's profit climbs 27% in Sept quarter

short by Vani Vivek / 04:51 pm on 28 Oct 2016,Friday

Google's parent company Alphabet on Thursday announced that its net income had risen 27% to $5.06 billion in the third-quarter compared to the year-ago period. Alphabet's revenue jumped 20% to $22.45 billion, marking the search giant's seventh straight quarter of double-digit revenue growth. The company credited strong advertising on mobile devices and video site YouTube for the positive results.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:51 pm on 28 Oct

read more at Reuters

Google's AI created its own form of encryption

short by Satyaki Das / 03:51 pm on 28 Oct 2016,Friday

Researchers from the Google Brain deep learning project have reportedly created AI-generated, human-independent encryption. They allowed three neural networks to pass each other notes using an encryption method they created themselves without human intervention. After about 15,000 attempts, one network sent another a coded message which the third network could not decode.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:51 pm on 28 Oct

read more at Engadget

Yahoo unites its virtual assistants in 'Bots' app

short by Satyaki Das / 03:50 pm on 28 Oct 2016,Friday

Yahoo has introduced an app called 'Yahoo Bots' which acts as a hub to connect users with all of the company's virtual assistants. The app, available for free on iOS and Android, features Yahoo news, weather, and finance bots, as well as Monkey Pets, a pet monkey which can be fed food emojis, and Blitz, a fantasy football helper bot.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:50 pm on 28 Oct

read more at Engadget

Apple launches its thinnest MacBook Pro at ₹1.29 lakh

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:18 pm on 28 Oct 2016,Friday

Technology giant Apple on Thursday launched the new and thinnest generation of MacBook Pro laptops which will start from ₹1.29 lakh in India. The entry-level 13-inch laptop is 14.9-mm in thickness. Another ₹1.55 lakh version of the laptop features a Touch Bar that utilizes gestures and taps to access various apps, select emojis while typing, and includes TouchID for security.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:18 pm on 28 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

LinkedIn revenue rises 23% as Microsoft deal nears close

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:03 pm on 28 Oct 2016,Friday

Social networking major LinkedIn on Thursday posted a 23% year-on-year rise in total revenue to $960 million in the quarter ended September. This comes amid LinkedIn being in the process of getting acquired by tech major Microsoft in a deal worth $26.2 billion. Further, the company's cumulative members grew 18% to 467 million during the period under review.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:03 pm on 28 Oct

read more at The Financial Express

Twitter to cut 9% of workforce to become profitable in 2017

short by Vani Vivek / 10:05 pm on 27 Oct 2016,Thursday

Micro-blogging platform Twitter on Thursday said it would cut 9% of its global workforce, nearly 350 employees, to keep costs down and achieve its goal of attaining profitability in 2017. The company, led by Co-founder Jack Dorsey, reported an 8% rise in revenue for the quarter ended September to $616 million and a 3% rise in user base.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:05 pm on 27 Oct

read more at Reuters

Samsung mobile division profit falls 96% on Note 7 crisis

short by Vani Vivek / 08:32 pm on 27 Oct 2016,Thursday

South Korean electronics major Samsung posted a 96% plunge in third-quarter mobile earnings to $88 million compared to the year-ago period. This marks the lowest quarterly earnings of the company's mobile division in nearly 8 years. The smartphone maker attributed the dip in earnings to its discontinued flagship Galaxy Note 7 which was recalled globally over battery explosions.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:32 pm on 27 Oct

read more at Reuters

Committed to earning back users' trust: Samsung

short by Vani Vivek / 06:52 pm on 27 Oct 2016,Thursday

Samsung Co-CEO Jong-Kyun Shin on Thursday apologised for the Galaxy Note 7 debacle which dragged the company's profits to a two-year low. "We know we must work hard to earn back your trust and we are committed to doing just that," he said at the general meeting following the announcement of Samsung's quarterly result in South Korea.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:52 pm on 27 Oct

read more at Reuters

I've f*cked up a lot but haven't discriminated: Palantir CEO

short by Vani Vivek / 06:52 pm on 27 Oct 2016,Thursday

CEO of Silicon Valley technology firm Palantir, Alex Karp on Wednesday admitted that he had "f*cked up so many things" at the company but being biased wasn't one of them. He said this with reference to the lawsuit Palantir is facing for discriminating against Asian job applicants. He added that about one-quarter of Palantir's employees are Asian.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:52 pm on 27 Oct

read more at Google

Samsung heir Lee Jae-Yong joins board amid Note 7 crisis

short by Mansha Mahajan / 06:51 pm on 27 Oct 2016,Thursday

Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong on Thursday joined the company's board amid a global recall of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. The move gives Lee, the grandson of Samsung's founder, a greater say over top management and in strategic calls, including restructuring and mergers. Notably, his appointment comes on the same day that Samsung reported a 30% decline in profits.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 06:51 pm on 27 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Qualcomm buys NXP for $47 bn in largest chip industry deal

short by Vani Vivek / 06:50 pm on 27 Oct 2016,Thursday

Telecommunication equipment major Qualcomm has agreed to buy Dutch semiconductor manufacturer NXP for $47 billion, making it the largest purchase in the chip industry's history. Qualcomm said it would offer NXP Semiconductors $110 per share, a premium of 11.5% over its Wednesday's close. The acquisition will help Qualcomm expand from the smartphone market to other industries.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:50 pm on 27 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Apple delays AirPods launch as it 'needs a little more' time

short by Vani Vivek / 06:37 pm on 27 Oct 2016,Thursday

Apple has said that it "needs a little more time" before it can start selling its $159 AirPods that were to launch in October. The wireless earphones were unveiled by Apple at its event in September to accompany the iPhone 7 smartphones which don't have a headphone jack. Apple did not say how long the AirPods will be delayed for.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:37 pm on 27 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Microsoft unveils update for 31-year old Paint app

short by Satyaki Das / 04:05 pm on 27 Oct 2016,Thursday

Microsoft unveiled 'Paint 3D' for Windows 10, an update to its 31-year-old graphics app, that lets users turn photos or doodles into 3D objects. The update includes a partnership with 3D creation community SketchUp, which lets users import 3D objects into original creations. Users can also import 3D content from the 'Minecraft' game, and print them using a 3D printer.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:05 pm on 27 Oct

read more at YouTube

Panic button in mobiles from Jan 1: Delhi Police to HC

short by Chhavi Tyagi / 03:45 pm on 27 Oct 2016,Thursday

Delhi Police has informed the Delhi High Court that a 'panic button' will be introduced in every mobile phone starting January 1, to help people in distress. The panic button will be mapped to the emergency number '100'. Further, the authorities are planning to launch a single emergency number '112' to do away with all existing emergency numbers including 100.

short by Chhavi Tyagi / 03:45 pm on 27 Oct

read more at The New Indian Express

Facebook claims it can scan users' faces without permission

short by Vani Vivek / 03:40 pm on 27 Oct 2016,Thursday

Social media giant Facebook has argued that it cannot be asked to stop collecting scans of users' faces through tagged photos on its platform as it does not cause them "concrete harm". This was in response to a lawsuit against Facebook and Google alleging that biometric data like faceprints are proprietary to an individual and cannot be used without consent.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:40 pm on 27 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Didn't pursue Twitter deal due to investors: Salesforce CEO

short by Vani Vivek / 03:34 pm on 27 Oct 2016,Thursday

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff on Wednesday said he would have pursued buying Twitter if shareholders had not learned of his plans. The CEO of the cloud computing company said, "We've never had a deal leak before...We had to stop because I'm running the business in partnership with my shareholders." Disney and Google have also reportedly refused to buy Twitter.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:34 pm on 27 Oct

read more at Reuters

Samsung profit dips 30% to hit 2-year low

short by Vani Vivek / 03:25 pm on 27 Oct 2016,Thursday

The operating profit of electronics major Samsung declined 30% in the quarter ended September from a year ago period, hitting a two-year low. Samsung on Thursday reported its earnings had fallen from over $6.47 billion in Q3 2015 to nearly $4.6 billion in Q3 2016. The 96% plunge in earnings from Samsung's mobile division was offset by its semiconductor business.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:25 pm on 27 Oct

read more at The Guardian

Microsoft unveils Surface Studio all-in-one PC

short by Satyaki Das / 12:18 pm on 27 Oct 2016,Thursday

Microsoft has unveiled the Surface Studio all-in-one PC. The Studio sports a 12.5mm-thick 28-inch touchscreen LCD display, built on a hinge that allows adjusting it to 20° horizontally. The PC features up to 32GB of RAM, 2TB of hybrid storage and Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M 4GB graphics for the premium model. It is priced starting at $2,999.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:18 pm on 27 Oct

read more at YouTube

iPhone sales in India grew 50% year-on-year: Apple CEO Cook

short by Vani Vivek / 09:26 pm on 26 Oct 2016,Wednesday

During Apple's fourth quarter earnings call on Tuesday, the technology giant's CEO Tim Cook said that iPhone sales in India "were up over 50% in fiscal 2016 compared to the prior year". However, Apple's annual revenue has declined for the first time since 2001, falling from $233.7 billion in 2015 to $217 billion in 2016.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:26 pm on 26 Oct

read more at Hindustan Times

Ericsson names Borje Ekholm as CEO

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:17 pm on 26 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Sweden-based networking and telecommunications equipment company Ericsson on Wednesday named its board member Borje Ekholm as CEO after Hans Vestberg's ouster in July this year. Ekholm was the CEO of Investor AB, which holds major stake in Ericsson. Currently in his mid-50's, Ekholm has been on the Ericsson's board for over 10 years.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:17 pm on 26 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Team that hacked Tesla breaks into Nexus 6P in under 20 mins

short by Vani Vivek / 08:15 pm on 26 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Chinese security researchers 'Keen Labs' who hacked a Tesla car in September, on Wednesday hacked into a Nexus 6P smartphone running stock Android within 20 minutes. They won $102,500 (₹68.5 lakhs) by installing a rogue app on the phone within three attempts for a security contest. The team also won $52,500 (₹35 lakhs) for stealing pictures from an iPhone 6s.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:15 pm on 26 Oct

read more at Twitter

Airline's app lets passengers track luggage in real-time

short by Vani Vivek / 08:06 pm on 26 Oct 2016,Wednesday

American airline Delta has updated its smartphone app to let passengers track their luggage in real-time. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags will be added to checked-in bags that will be tracked by scanners along the way to indicate when a bag is on its way to the plane or when it has reached the terminal on a map interface.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:06 pm on 26 Oct

read more at The Next Web

26 feet long vacuum cleaner made to filter polluted air

short by Vani Vivek / 08:04 pm on 26 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Dutch inventors have created a 26-foot-long steel 'vacuum cleaner' to be placed atop buildings to filter out toxic particles from the machine's surrounding atmosphere. The vacuum has the capability to suck in air from a 300-metre radius and from up to seven kilometres upwards. It can filter out 100% of fine particles and 95% of ultra-fine particles from the air.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:04 pm on 26 Oct

read more at The Guardian

The ₹67,000 Google Pixel XL costs only ₹19,000 to make

short by Vani Vivek / 07:52 pm on 26 Oct 2016,Wednesday

The 32 GB variant of the Google Pixel XL smartphone launched at a price of ₹67,000 in India, costs the technology giant ₹19,100 per unit to make, according to data by IHS Markit. However, this figure doesn't include marketing or costs incurred in research and development. The base model of the smaller 5-inch Google Pixel costs ₹57,000 in India.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:52 pm on 26 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Global smartwatch sales fall over 50% in 1 year

short by Vani Vivek / 05:27 pm on 26 Oct 2016,Wednesday

According to a report by market research company IDC, global shipments of smartwatches have fallen from 5.6 million units in Q3 2015 to 2.7 million units in Q3 2016, registering a decline of 51.6%. Apple continues to hold the largest market share with 41.3%, followed by Garmin and Samsung with 20.5% and 14.4% respectively.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:27 pm on 26 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Emporio Armani launches hybrid smartwatch line at $245

short by Vani Vivek / 05:01 pm on 26 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Luxury fashion brand Emporio Armani on Tuesday launched its own line of hybrid smartwatches starting at $245 (approx ₹16,300). The 'Emporio Armani Connected' collection can be connected to smartphones via Bluetooth to provide features like activity tracking, quartz batteries, that can last for up to six months and the ability to receive selected notification 'discreetly'.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:01 pm on 26 Oct

read more at YouTube

Xiaomi unveils Mi Mix concept phone with 'edgeless' screen

short by Vani Vivek / 04:44 pm on 26 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi on Tuesday unveiled its Mi Mix concept phone with a 6.4-inch nearly edge-to-edge 1080p LCD screen. The device, made entirely of ceramic, has a screen-to-body ratio of 91.3%, while the iPhone 7 Plus and Google Pixel XL have 67.7% and 71.2% respectively. The phone will be available in China from November starting at $516 (approx ₹34,500).

short by Vani Vivek / 04:44 pm on 26 Oct

read more at Engadget

Tim Cook 'not sure' if iPhone 7 Plus demand will be met

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:40 pm on 26 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Apple CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday while commenting on meeting iPhone's demand by the year's end said, "I believe that on iPhone 7 we will, on iPhone 7 Plus I’m not sure". He added, "We are supply constrained on iPhone 7 and 7 Plus". The iPhone 7 Plus is reportedly facing shipping delays of several weeks.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:40 pm on 26 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Vodafone hit with record $5.6 mn fine for misleading users

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:25 pm on 26 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Vodafone has been fined record $5.6 million in the UK for “serious and sustained” breaches of consumer protection rules. While it faces $4.5 million for taking money from its pay-as-you-go service customers without providing a service in return, $1.1 million were fined for flaws in its complaints handling processes. Vodafone is required to pay the fine within 20 days.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:25 pm on 26 Oct

read more at The Guardian

Excited about 4G investments in India: Apple CEO Tim Cook

short by Vani Vivek / 03:46 pm on 26 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Apple CEO Tim Cook during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call on Tuesday, said that Apple "couldn't be more excited about" the investments being made in India on 4G technology. Reliance Jio, which recently rolled out 4G service across India, has partnered with Apple to offer a free service contract to iPhone buyers for one year.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:46 pm on 26 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

Google unveils 55-inch electronic whiteboard at $6,000

short by Vani Vivek / 03:44 pm on 26 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Google on Wednesday announced 'Jamboard', a 55-inch whiteboard priced at $6,000 as the first hardware product under its cloud-based G Suite. It can be connected to Google's Docs, Sheets, Slides to add or share content. The 4K touchscreen, which incorporates tools like sticky notes and stencils with handwriting and shape recognition, can be wiped clean by users with their hands.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:44 pm on 26 Oct

read more at YouTube

MacBook Pro leak indicates missing escape key

short by Vani Vivek / 02:47 pm on 26 Oct 2016,Wednesday

The latest software update for Mac reportedly contains hidden images of Apple's upcoming MacBook Pro in its code. The leaked images show an OLED touch panel above the keyboard which will display app-related shortcuts, while the escape key seems to have been removed. The leak also reveals an embedded Touch ID fingerprint reader for authentication while using Apple Pay.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:47 pm on 26 Oct

read more at Engadget

Alphabet to cut over 100 jobs as Google Fiber CEO quits

short by Vani Vivek / 02:45 pm on 26 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Google parent Alphabet is reportedly laying off about 130 employees, or 9% of staff working on its high-speed internet project Google Fiber following the exit of the project's CEO Craig Barratt on Tuesday. The technology giant will also halt its rollout of Fiber to eight American cities where it had announced plans.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:45 pm on 26 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Alphabet, Microsoft, Facebook shares hit all-time high

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:44 pm on 26 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Shares of Google parent Alphabet, Microsoft and Facebook, three of the top five largest companies of the US, hit all-time high on Monday. The three companies represent more than $1.4 trillion market cap. Further, Apple, Amazon and Facebook stocks accounted for 20% of the S&P 500 index’s gains this year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:44 pm on 26 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Map shows Google's autocomplete suggestions for capitals

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:42 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

A map posted by a Reddit user shows Google's autocomplete suggestions for select capitals of Indian states like 'When will McDonald's open in Patna' and 'When will Mumbai sink' among others. When a user types 'When will (capital of any state)' on Google Search, the search engine's autocompleting feature comes up with various suggestions.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:42 pm on 25 Oct

read more at India Today

Samsung Note 7 halt hurt South Korean GDP: Fin Min official

short by Vani Vivek / 09:50 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

A Finance Ministry official from South Korea on Tuesday said that electronic giant Samsung's decision to end production of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone likely erased 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points from the country's GDP growth in Q3. South Korea's central bank has estimated GDP growth at 0.7% in the third quarter compared to the previous three-month period.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:50 pm on 25 Oct

read more at Reuters

BlackBerry launches its last phone at ₹33,000

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:28 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Canadian phone maker BlackBerry, which announced to stop making phones last month, on Tuesday launched its last phone 'DTEK60' at ₹33,000. The Android Marshmallow-based handset features company's largest display to date of 5.5-inch, a 21 MP rear camera, a fingerprint sensor, and BlackBerry's security software. It rivals the size of the latest iPhone 7 Plus and Google Pixel XL smartphones.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:28 pm on 25 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Dubai to get robot police assistants by 2017

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 09:13 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Dubai Police, IBM, and Google have developed a 'Robocop' prototype that was unveiled a Dubai's annual electronic trade show recently. The virtual assistant system uses Artificial Intelligence and can spot people from 10-20 metres of distance, approach them, and greet them. It is expected to be deployed at tourist attractions like Burj Khalifa by 2017, Dubai Police said.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 09:13 pm on 25 Oct

read more at YouTube

Samsung S7 Edge catches fire while charging in US

short by Vani Vivek / 07:39 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Following the global recall of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 over exploding batteries, the owner of a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge smartphone in the US has claimed his device blew up while charging. The man had received the S7 Edge two weeks ago after exchanging it for his Note 7. Samsung had launched S7 and S7 Edge smartphones in February 2016.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:39 pm on 25 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Time Warner CEO stands to gain $32 mn from AT&T deal

short by Vani Vivek / 07:38 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

According to a regulatory filing by Time Warner on Monday, CEO Jeff Bewkes could receive a $32 million payout if AT&T completes its $85 billion acquisition of the company. The filing showed that Bewkes, who has been Time Warner's CEO for over eight years, could earn twice the amount of long-term incentives indicated by the company in April.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:38 pm on 25 Oct

read more at Reuters

Only AT&T approached us with offer: Time Warner CEO

short by Vani Vivek / 07:37 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes said on Monday that AT&T was the only company to offer a takeover for the media group. Earlier, reports had suggested that technology giant Apple had also been interested in acquiring Time Warner. Cable company AT&T on Saturday officially announced plans to buy Time Warner for $85 billion, or $107.50 per share.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:37 pm on 25 Oct

read more at Reuters

AT&T, Time Warner shares fall over doubts on deal clearance

short by Vani Vivek / 07:36 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Shares of AT&T and Time Warner fell by 1.5% and 2.2% respectively on Monday following concerns that AT&T's $85 billion takeover of the media group may be blocked by regulators. Rating agency Moody's said it was reviewing AT&T for a downgrade because of doubts over the merger. The company's credit rating could be cut to Baa2, the second-lowest grade.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:36 pm on 25 Oct

read more at The Guardian

Consumer Reports ranks Tesla among least reliable carmakers

short by Vani Vivek / 07:35 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Consumer-advocacy organisation Consumer Reports on Monday ranked autonomous carmaker Tesla 25 on a list of 29 automakers, calling it one of the least reliable car brands. Consumer Reports has also listed Tesla's Model X as the sixth least reliable car of 2016, calling it "more showy than practical". The car's "falcon wing" doors are said to be a problem area.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:35 pm on 25 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Google buys eye-tracking startup for new VR headset

short by Vani Vivek / 05:33 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Google has acquired US-based eye-tracking startup Eyefluence to reportedly integrate the technology in its new Virtual Reality (VR) headset. Eyefluence enables users wearing head-mounted VR glasses to use their eyes as a mouse and make selections only with their eye movements. Founded in 2013, the startup had raised a total of $21.6 million (over ₹144 crore) from two funding rounds.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:33 pm on 25 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

11-yr-old Linux OS bug grants full access to any user

short by Satyaki Das / 05:32 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

A vulnerability attack on an 11-year-old flaw in the Linux operating system, that grants any user exploiting it unauthorised access privileges, has reportedly been found. Dubbed as "Dirty COW," the bug can break memory operations in the Linux kernel. Experts have warned that the bug could be used to gain root server access.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:32 pm on 25 Oct

read more at Engadget

US robots beat Australian rivals in football championship

short by Vani Vivek / 05:31 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

A team of robots developed by the University of Texas on Monday beat the team from Australia's University of New South Wales 7-3 in a game of football during China's 2016 World Robot Conference. Robot football matches have been played since the mid-1990s and the 'RoboCup' used humanoid robots about 23 inches tall developed by French company Aldebaran Robotics.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:31 pm on 25 Oct

read more at The Guardian

US Defense tests robotic boat with parasailing radar

short by Satyaki Das / 05:03 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

US' Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has tested a parasailing radar array using its robotic 'Sea Hunter' boat. The array was flown up to 1,000 feet, where its surface tracking radar has six times more range than at ship level. This could lead to unmanned warships that easily detect potential threats before they come within firing range.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:03 pm on 25 Oct

read more at Engadget

MIT scientists make an algorithm to generate 'scary' pics

short by Satyaki Das / 04:53 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

A three-person team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology has created an algorithm called 'Nightmare Machine' that generates Halloween-inspired 'scary' images from pictures of faces and places. In order to train the algorithm, participants are asked to vote whether or not different sets of images are scary, thereby helping to refine the process.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:53 pm on 25 Oct

read more at The Verge

Google rebrands its Cast app to 'Google Home'

short by Satyaki Das / 03:55 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Google has rebranded its casting app 'Google Cast' with a new name, 'Google Home', and a new logo. This is reportedly due to the need for a unified app to manage Google's ecosystem of connected products. The app, first called 'Chromecast', is used to discover content to stream on TVs and speakers connected to its 'Chromecast' media streaming device.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:55 pm on 25 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Bank of America unveils AI-powered 'personal finance' bot

short by Satyaki Das / 03:43 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Bank of America has unveiled a virtual assistant called Erica, that uses artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to learn consumers' personal spending habits and offer financial advice. It will help users understand financial concepts and warn them of imminent risks, among other things, the company added. The bot will reportedly be available in Bank of America smartphone apps next year.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:43 pm on 25 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

We clearly missed the mobile boom: Microsoft CEO Nadella

short by Vani Vivek / 03:10 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Speaking at a technology conference on Monday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella admitted that the company had "clearly missed the mobile boom", which is why it was focusing on growth in new categories like Augmented Reality (AR). A report by research company Gartner had indicated that Windows phones occupied less than 1% of the global smartphone market share.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:10 pm on 25 Oct

read more at Engadget

IBM's Watson AI helps compose a four-song record

short by Satyaki Das / 02:55 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

IBM's music-composing AI 'Watson Beat' has helped Grammy-winning producer Alex da Kid create his first solo extended-play of four songs, first of which was recently released. While IBM's bot did not write the actual songs, it analysed musical culture trends of the past five years to generate "completely new musical scores," which Alex reportedly used as inspiration for the tunes.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:55 pm on 25 Oct

read more at Engadget

Xiaomi unveils Mi Note 2 with curved screen display

short by Vani Vivek / 02:50 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi on Tuesday unveiled its Mi Note 2 smartphone in China starting at about $413 (approx ₹27,600). Powered by a Snapdragon 821 processor, the phone features a 5.7-inch curved display, 4,070 mAh battery, 22.56 MP primary and 8 MP front camera. The base model of the phone has 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal memory.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:50 pm on 25 Oct

read more at The Verge

Twitter planning to layoff 300 employees: Report

short by Vani Vivek / 02:49 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

As per a Bloomberg report, micro-blogging platform Twitter will lay off about 8% of its total workforce in the coming week, which is said to be around 300 people. This comes as reports suggest Twitter has been looking for a buyer, while Salesforce, Disney and Google have denied being interested in acquiring the company.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:49 pm on 25 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Intel invests ₹254 crore in 12 startups worldwide

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:47 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

The world’s biggest chip maker, Intel on Monday announced that it has invested over ₹254 crore in 12 startups. The startups focus on solutions for seniors and disabled people using the Internet of Things or making everyday objects smart and connected. Since 1991, Intel has invested ₹78,000 crore in 1,458 startups worldwide.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:47 pm on 25 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

Hacked webcams used in internet shutdown recalled

short by Vani Vivek / 02:37 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Chinese security camera maker Hangzhou Xiongmai has issued a recall for its webcams involved in last week's cyber attack that led to the shutdown of major websites like Twitter and PayPal. The manufacturer says that hackers were able to use its devices because many owners hadn't bothered to change their default passwords.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:37 pm on 25 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

WhatsApp starts testing video calling on Android

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:36 pm on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp's beta versions are now available with the video calling feature for some users. Available under the WhatsApp call button, the feature allows switching between the front and rear cameras. Earlier this month, WhatsApp started rolling out the new feature as a beta version on the Windows platform.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:36 pm on 25 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Sweden imposes restrictions on camera drone flights

short by Satyaki Das / 10:57 am on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Sweden's Supreme Administrative Court has effectively banned camera drone flights through a ruling. The court argued that camera-equipped drones are surveillance cameras, and require a permit indicating that they will be used to prevent crime or accidents. This has drawn criticism from local drone owners, with an industry group declaring that the court might be killing Sweden's drone market.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:57 am on 25 Oct

read more at Engadget

Microsoft to hike UK enterprise prices starting January 2017

short by Satyaki Das / 10:56 am on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

UK businesses that buy enterprise software or cloud services from Microsoft will see a price hike from January 1. Microsoft said the new prices are to "ensure there is reasonable alignment across the region". On-premise enterprise software prices will rise by 13%, while most enterprise cloud prices in British pounds will increase by 22% to "realign close to euro levels".

short by Satyaki Das / 10:56 am on 25 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

InFocus launches the Epic series of premium smartphones with Epic1

short by InFocus / 10:53 am on 25 Oct 2016,Tuesday

InFocus has launched a new series of premium smartphones ‘Epic’, with Epic1 being the premier. It is the most affordable 10-core processor smartphone in India at ₹12,999. Available exclusively on Amazon, Epic1 is one of the best buys for selfie lovers with its 1.8F low light 8MP lens, says the company. Epic1 also has a 360-degree recognition based fingerprint sensor.

short by InFocus / 10:53 am on 25 Oct

read more at Reuters

₹60,000 iPhone 7's camera costs only ₹1,740 to make

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:54 pm on 24 Oct 2016,Monday

The camera of the entry-level Apple iPhone 7 variant, which is priced at ₹60,000 in India, costs the company only ₹1,740 per unit to make, according to analyst firm Chipworks. While the battery costs ₹270, the touchscreen costs ₹2,475, and the memory and storage cost about ₹2,540. Notably, over 90% of smartphone owners use their devices as cameras.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:54 pm on 24 Oct

read more at The Verge

China becomes world's largest mkt for iOS App Store revenues

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:45 pm on 24 Oct 2016,Monday

China has overtaken the US to become the world's largest market for Apple's iOS App Store revenue, according to App Annie. The country earned over $1.7 billion from the iOS App Store in Q3 2016, which puts it ahead of the US by over 15%. The US had been the number one iOS market since 2010.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:45 pm on 24 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

China firm says its cameras were used to take down Internet

short by Mansha Mahajan / 05:34 pm on 24 Oct 2016,Monday

Chinese security camera maker Hangzhou Xiongmai Technology said its products were used to launch a cyber-attack that severed internet access for millions of users. The attackers hijacked their CCTV cameras using malware called Mirai, the company said, adding that cameras made before September 2015 were potentially vulnerable. Notably, the cyber-attack took down sites including Twitter and Spotify.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 05:34 pm on 24 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Google Pixel's wallpaper app released for all Android phones

short by Satyaki Das / 05:13 pm on 24 Oct 2016,Monday

Google has released the 'Wallpapers' app, which is a built-in wallpaper switcher on its recently launched Pixel smartphones, for all Android phones. The app offers images in five different categories: Earth, landscapes, cityscapes, life and textures. It is available in the Play Store for all Android users running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and above.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:13 pm on 24 Oct

read more at Engadget

Japanese artist creates music using old CRT TVs

short by Satyaki Das / 05:03 pm on 24 Oct 2016,Monday

Japanese artist Ei Wada created music using a row of old Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) television sets. He used the capacitive effect of the TV screens to create percussive sounds with varying pitch. Wada, who also leads a live act called the 'Open Reel Ensemble', specialises in repurposing old electronic appliances and gadgets into musical instruments.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:03 pm on 24 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Google Pixel harder to repair than Apple iPhone 7

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:17 pm on 24 Oct 2016,Monday

Google's Pixel smartphone is harder to repair than rival Apple's iPhone 7 and 7 Plus handsets, according to iFixit, a community known for opening up latest gadgets. Pixel scored six out of ten in terms of repair, against seven scored by iPhone 7. iFixit claims Pixel has “thin, poorly-supported display assembly” which makes it harder to open up the device.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:17 pm on 24 Oct

Microsoft once offered to buy Facebook for $24 billion

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:05 pm on 24 Oct 2016,Monday

Microsoft's former CEO Steve Ballmer in a recent interview revealed that he once offered Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg to buy his company for $24 billion. While Zuckerberg refused the offer, Ballmer said, "I respect that. You have to have a willing seller". Zuckerberg is currently the fifth richest person in the world with a net worth of $56.6 billion.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:05 pm on 24 Oct

read more at The Financial Express

Samsung rushed with Note 7 replacements: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:03 pm on 24 Oct 2016,Monday

South Korean electronics major Samsung did not properly diagnose the Galaxy Note 7's exploding battery issue and rushed to provide handset replacements, according to Wall Street Journal. Before issuing replacements, Samsung executives didn’t have a final answer on what caused the phones to explode. Samsung's lab scans reportedly showed a bulge in the battery of faulty devices.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:03 pm on 24 Oct

Smooth images projected on moving fabric demonstrated

short by Satyaki Das / 02:59 pm on 24 Oct 2016,Monday

Tokyo-based scientists have demonstrated a way to project images onto objects that are moving unpredictably. For this, they combined two technologies– a high-speed projector that can project 8-bit images at 1,000 frames-per-second and high-speed non-rigid surface tracking that follows the surface at the same rate. The team suggested the advancement could help develop 'interactive clothing'.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:59 pm on 24 Oct

read more at YouTube

$100 mn project to make intelligence-boosting implant

short by Satyaki Das / 02:27 pm on 24 Oct 2016,Monday

Bryan Johnson, the Founder and CEO of US-based startup Kernel, has announced a $100 million investment into the development of a brain implant device which can boost human intelligence. According to Johnson, the first experiments for the device will focus on memory enhancement. He added that work was also being done on personalised algorithms to dictate an individual's brain function.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:27 pm on 24 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Chinese researchers develop algorithms for smart energy grid

short by Satyaki Das / 01:59 pm on 24 Oct 2016,Monday

Researchers at China's Northeastern University have proposed an algorithm to construct an energy grid that distributes power similar to data flow on the internet. The proposed 'energy internet' would use a main power grid combined with decentralised generators, including fuel, wind turbines and solar power, to distribute energy to multiple microgrids within each designated network.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:59 pm on 24 Oct

read more at Phys

Scientists develop artificial intelligence 'judge'

short by Satyaki Das / 01:55 pm on 24 Oct 2016,Monday

Computer scientists at the University College London have developed an artificial intelligence platform that can weigh the legal evidence available and predict the outcome of trials. Analysing datasets for 584 real cases, the AI 'judge' reportedly reached the same verdicts as human judges at the European court of human rights, in around 79% cases involving torture, degrading treatment and privacy.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:55 pm on 24 Oct

read more at The Guardian

UV light treatment improves smartphone cameras: Study

short by Satyaki Das / 01:39 pm on 24 Oct 2016,Monday

Treating photodetectors, used in smartphone cameras, with UV light improves their frequency response, according to a study by Moscow-based researchers. They found that exposing a polymer-based photodetector incorporated with zinc oxide nanoparticles to UV light for 30 seconds increased its sensitivity nearly 5,000 times. The process is "quick, cheap and efficient", the researchers claimed.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:39 pm on 24 Oct

Video shows robot's analysis of Trump during prez debates

short by Yash Kumar / 10:21 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

A three-minute video shows a robot, built around Microsoft's Emotion API algorithm, analysing all the three US presidential debates and determining that US presidential nominee Donald Trump is "really sad". The robot is modelled using deep learning and uses thousand of low-resolution pictures showing various human emotions as a reference. However, robotic emotion recognition is not perfect yet.

short by Yash Kumar / 10:21 pm on 23 Oct

read more at YouTube

Google removing content with insults on Thai royalty

short by Yash Kumar / 10:04 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

Google will remove content that the Thailand government believes is insulting the monarchy, Thailand Deputy PM Prajin Juntong said after a meeting with Google representatives. Google said this conforms with its practices around the world, as it restricts illegal activities in accordance with each country's domestic laws. This comes as Thailand mourns the death of its King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

short by Yash Kumar / 10:04 pm on 23 Oct

read more at Reuters

Video: Steve Jobs introducing the first ever iPod

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:03 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

A nine-minute YouTube video shows late Apple CEO Steve Jobs introducing the first ever iPod, 15 years ago on October 23, 2001. The device was capable of carrying "1,000 songs in your pocket" because of its ultra-thin hard drive. iPod's battery could last 10 hours of continuous music, with the gadget being lighter than most cell phones of the time.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:03 pm on 23 Oct

read more at YouTube

Airtel was 1st operator to achieve 20 crore users in India

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:00 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

Telecom operator Airtel became the first company in India to achieve 20 crore mobile users when it crossed the mark in 2014. India's largest mobile operator got its permit for mobile telephony in 1994 and launched the services under 'Airtel' brand name in 1995. Airtel was founded by businessman Sunil Bharti Mittal, who was born on October 23, 1957.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:00 pm on 23 Oct

read more at Google

Mark Zuckerberg's net worth hits all-time high of $56.6 bn

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:53 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

Social media giant Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg's net worth has hit an all-time high of $56.6 billion (approximately ₹3.78 lakh crore) after he earned $1.6 billion this week. This comes after Facebook shares hit an all-time high over Facebook Live's popularity and the introduction of a new food-delivery service. Zuckerberg is currently the fifth richest person in the world.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:53 pm on 23 Oct

read more at Forbes

Singapore to turn regular buses self-driving with sensors

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:34 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

Singapore has launched a new pilot program where large buses will be turned into self-driving buses with high-tech sensors. Once ready, the buses will travel roughly 1.4 kilometre between a university and a nearby industrial park for field trials. A month ago, self-driving car technology startup nuTonomy started testing its cars in Singapore.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:34 pm on 23 Oct

read more at Mashable

E-Ink post-it that does not need charging made

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:09 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

Researchers at Microsoft and MIT have created E-Ink post-it notes that do not require any charging. The device uses a small photovoltaic cell, which stores energy from ambient light to power E-Ink display and a low-energy Bluetooth chip. The note, which can be updated from a computer or a smartphone, can refresh its display every minute.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:09 pm on 23 Oct

read more at Recode

AT&T is world's oldest telephone company in operation

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:17 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) was incorporated by inventor Alexander Graham Bell in 1885, making it the world's oldest telephone company in operation. The company was initially set up as a subsidiary of Bell Telephone Company, but bought Bell's assets in 1899 to become the parent company of the entire Bell system.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:17 pm on 23 Oct

read more at Google

Satya’s got the company doing right stuff: Ex-Microsoft CEO

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:39 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

Former Microsoft CEO while talking about the company's current CEO Satya Nadella said, "Satya’s got the company doing the right stuff". Praising Nadella's approach towards cloud computing, Ballmer said, "He’s going down this cloud path". Notably, Microsoft’s stock price reached an all-time high on Thursday after the company posted quarterly earning above expectations.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:39 pm on 23 Oct

read more at Google

Seven people hold secret keys to the Internet

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:23 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

After the US transferred complete control of internet registries to ICANN, the security of the Internet's core is now controlled by seven members of the organisation. The seven members with secret keys can together unlock a master-key to access ICANN's database that manages web addresses. People controlling this database could control the Internet by directing people's access to the web.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:23 pm on 23 Oct

read more at The Guardian

Video explains functioning of WiFi

short by Sanira Mediratta / 05:54 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

A two-minute video explains how WiFi helps connect electronic devices wirelessly using binary numbers. It also discusses how a two-way communication is ensured by WiFi via radio waves. Further explaining the process, the video illustrates how the data is broken down, directed to different routers and later reassembled on reaching the target.

short by Sanira Mediratta / 05:54 pm on 23 Oct

read more at YouTube

Never ever wanted to buy Twitter: Ex-Microsoft CEO

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:52 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in a recent interview said, "I have never, ever, ever wanted to buy Twitter myself". He added, "I mean, come on, I got a good life right now, I don’t need to do that". Ballmer said that Twitter must either sell itself to someone who can propel it or take an independent path.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:52 pm on 23 Oct

read more at Google

Thieves stealing 19 iPhones worth ₹8 lakh caught on camera

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:28 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

Seven unidentified thieves stealing 19 iPhones worth more than ₹8 lakh from an Apple store in Massachusetts, US, have been caught on camera by the police. The thieves, a group of male and female teenagers, were wearing hoodies and hats to shield their identity. They swiftly cut the security cords and exited the store with the stolen iPhones.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:28 pm on 23 Oct

read more at Facebook

SoundShare's iMessage app lets users text entire songs

short by Satyaki Das / 05:08 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

Music-focused social network SoundShare has launched an iMessage app that allows sharing entire tracks over text messaging. The app is an update to SoundShare's main iOS app, which offers a platform for users to find and follow others and create collaborative playlists. Users can look for a song in the search bar, and tap to send it to a friend.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:08 pm on 23 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

FB Messenger on Windows 10 adds video, voice calls

short by Satyaki Das / 04:40 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

Facebook has upgraded its Messenger app for Windows 10 with the ability to make voice and video calls. This means that Windows 10 Messenger users will now get a phone icon in their app screen, allowing group voice calls or one-on-one video calls within a single window. However, the Windows Phone version has not received the upgrade yet.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:40 pm on 23 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

JLab Audio announces wireless earbuds at $149

short by Satyaki Das / 04:38 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

California-based consumer audio company JLab Audio has announced the 'JLab Audio Epic Air' wireless earbuds priced at $149. The Epic Air earbuds feature an ear hook-cum-Bluetooth antenna, are rated splash-proof, and reportedly last up to six hours on a single charge. The earbuds come in a charging case which can also charge smartphones and other devices.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:38 pm on 23 Oct

read more at The Verge

Reebok uses 3D drawing to create better-fitting shoes

short by Satyaki Das / 04:07 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

Sports equipment maker Reebok has unveiled its limited edition 'Liquid Speed' shoes which are manufactured by 3D drawing with a liquid to create a better fit. Reebok's Liquid Factory uses a machine to create the frames of the shoes by drawing a synthetic 'high-rebound' liquid on a flat surface. The shoes, priced at $189, have a first-time 'energy return' outsole.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:07 pm on 23 Oct

read more at YouTube

Instagram testing live videos in Russia: Reports

short by Satyaki Das / 03:54 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

Facebook-owned photo sharing app Instagram is reportedly testing a new 'live videos' feature in Russia. A Russian publication spotted the live functionality embedded into Instagram stories, and also the user interface for going live from Instagram, which includes a red button reading "Go Insta!". Instagram is yet to officially announce the feature.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:54 pm on 23 Oct

read more at Engadget

Video shows Siri competing with Google Assistant

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:40 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

A new video shows Apple's voice assistant Siri and Google Assistant competing with each other on the companies' latest smartphones iPhone 7 Plus and Pixel XL respectively. The assistants are asked questions like Barack Obama's height, Facebook CEO's name and movie release date. The assistants are also asked to perform tasks like showing cat pictures and setting reminders, among others.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:40 pm on 23 Oct

read more at YouTube

Video explains what is Artificial Intelligence

short by Sanira Mediratta / 03:28 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

A four-minute video explains what artificial intelligence is and how a machine is tested for such capabilities. It states that it must pass the 'Turing test', a test which requires the computer to chat with a human in a seemingly human-like manner. It adds that intelligent machines should be able to interpret visual information and have traits like decision making.

short by Sanira Mediratta / 03:28 pm on 23 Oct

read more at YouTube

Apple faces opposition over $925 mn Ireland data center

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:19 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

Apple is facing stiff opposition from the local residents of an Ireland town over building a $925 million (approximately ₹6k crore) data center. Apple received the construction permission from the local planning body in August, but local residents have launched a High Court bid against the center. The HC review may delay Apple's project by 18 months.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:19 pm on 23 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

Kodak unveils $549 smartphone based on a 1941 camera

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:03 pm on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

American technology company Kodak recently unveiled a $549 (approx ₹36,700) smartphone named 'Ektra', which is based on a camera launched by the company in 1941. Styled as a camera, it runs on Android Marshmallow and comes with a 21 MP fast-focus rear camera and a 13 MP front-facing camera. Ektra will go on sale in the UK in December 2016.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:03 pm on 23 Oct

read more at Daily Mail

Reliance Jio becomes world's biggest data carrier in 45 days

short by Trivedi Bhutnath / 10:23 am on 23 Oct 2016,Sunday

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio has become the world's biggest telecom company in terms of data traffic only within 45 days of its launch, according to Credit Suisse. Jio has reported the highest data traffic of 16,000 TB per day, followed by carriers China Mobile and Vodafone Global. Jio recently claimed 16 million new subscribers within a month of launch.

short by Trivedi Bhutnath / 10:23 am on 23 Oct

read more at Business Today

It's over, aliens are finally coming for us, tweets user

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:02 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

Reacting to the internet being down in the US and Europe after one of the biggest cyber attacks, a user tweeted, "It's over, god damn aliens are finally coming for us." Another user tweeted, "Relieved to learn that Twitter was down rather than that everyone I follow happened to block me at the same time".

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:02 pm on 22 Oct

read more at Tweet Collection

Nintendo loses $2.4 bn in valuation after new console teaser

short by Mansha Mahajan / 08:59 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

Electronics major Nintendo's shares plunged 6.5% on Friday, wiping out $2.4 billion from its market value following a trailer of its new 'Switch' console. The device's content does not look so different and could be a "disappointment" to users, analysts said. Notably, the plunge was worse than the reaction to Wii U console, which saw Nintendo shares fall by 5%.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 08:59 pm on 22 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Dyn researcher gave presentation on cyber attack 2 days back

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:41 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

A researcher at server provider Dyn, which was attacked on Friday following the internet shutdown in the US and Europe, Doug Madory gave a presentation on a similar cyber attack two days before. He recently published a report on the largest DDoS attacks in the internet's history. The Friday attack is said to be one of the biggest cyber attacks.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:41 pm on 22 Oct

read more at Mashable

LG to discontinue making modular smartphones: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:32 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

South Korean electronics maker LG is reportedly abandoning its project of making modular smartphones. LG has made only one modular phone - the LG G5 launched in April, which reportedly did not perform well in terms of sales. LG's next phone G6 is expected to be launched with a regular integrated design.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:32 pm on 22 Oct

read more at The Verge

What led to major worldwide internet shutdown on Friday?

short by Twishy Shahi / 08:14 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

Popular websites like Twitter, Amazon, Netflix, Reddit and others were inaccessible in the US and Europe on Friday after hackers attacked Dyn, an internet 'phonebook' connecting users to various websites including the above-mentioned sites. The hackers used internet-connected devices that were infected with a malware to overload Dyn servers with huge amounts of traffic which led to the shutdown.

short by Twishy Shahi / 08:14 pm on 22 Oct

read more at The Verge

FB Instant Articles to support 360-degree content

short by Satyaki Das / 06:21 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

Facebook has announced its Instant Articles will now support 360-degree content. This means that publishers can include 360-degree images and videos in-line, which users can then navigate by turning their mobile device, or tapping and dragging. Introduced in 2015, Instant Articles displays publishers' content in a faster-loading view when accessed on mobile devices.

short by Satyaki Das / 06:21 pm on 22 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Windows 10 Insiders can use 'Ink' to draw on photos

short by Satyaki Das / 06:18 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

Microsoft has annouced updates to its Windows Ink Workspace, and one of them allows Insider users who install the latest Windows 10 Preview for PC and Mobile, to doodle and write on their photos with Ink. Tapping the Draw option while viewing a picture in the Photos app brings up Workspace's toolbar, where users can choose from calligraphy pen tools.

short by Satyaki Das / 06:18 pm on 22 Oct

read more at Engadget

Smart devices used as weapons in cyber attack

short by Vani Vivek / 05:59 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

Security analysts have said that hackers used internet-connected home devices, such as CCTV cameras, webcams, and printers, to take down websites like Twitter and Spotify in the US and some parts of Europe on Friday. The attackers used hundreds of thousands of devices that had previously been infected with a virus to attack servers of internet provider Dyn.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:59 pm on 22 Oct

read more at The Guardian

Microsoft gains $19bn in one day after stock hit record high

short by Mansha Mahajan / 05:46 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

The market capitalisation of technology giant Microsoft surged by nearly $19 billion to reach $463.88 billion on Friday, after shares of the company rose to an all-time high in nearly 17 years. The rise came amid Microsoft posting quarterly earnings above expectations. Further, the company said that sales from its cloud product Azure rose by 116%.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 05:46 pm on 22 Oct

read more at Google

Self-adhesive phone wins crowdsourced design contest

short by Vani Vivek / 05:24 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

Chinese phone manufacturer ZTE has announced the winners of its design contest, where it asked the public to send suggestions for a unique mobile product. The winning entry by 'Team One Technology' has a self-adhesive back that can stick against any stable surface. ZTE plans to produce and launch the phone by 2017 after crowdsourcing a name for it.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:24 pm on 22 Oct

Smart sock adds sensations to prosthetic limbs

short by Vani Vivek / 05:18 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

Austrian researchers have created a sock using conductive fabric to help provide lower limb amputees with a natural sense of touch through prosthetic limbs. The sock creates a pressure-sensitive grid covering the entire foot and ankle, which is connected to a ring of vibrating motors. Pressure on a certain part of the foot causes motors to vibrate at different frequencies.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:18 pm on 22 Oct

read more at YouTube

Facebook agrees to show 'newsworthy' graphic content

short by Vani Vivek / 05:14 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

Facebook on Friday updated its censorship guidelines, under which it will allow "newsworthy" graphic content including violence and nudity, which might otherwise "violate its standards". Facebook will work with journalists, photographers, and law enforcement officials to decide what to allow on its platform. This comes after criticism of Facebook's censorship of an iconic Vietnam War photo.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:14 pm on 22 Oct

read more at Engadget

Airbus shares sketch of self-driving flying taxi 'Vahana'

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:06 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

French aerospace giant Airbus recently shared its plan to build a flying taxi called 'Vahana', a single-seater autonomous aircraft that can take off and land vertically. The aircraft has eight rotors on two sets of wings. Airbus is aiming to fly a full-size prototype of the flying taxi before the end of 2017.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:06 pm on 22 Oct

read more at The Verge

Inequality is a multi-faceted beast: Salesforce CEO

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:20 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

American cloud computing major Salesforce's CEO Marc Benioff while talking about women in computing on Friday said, "Inequality is a multi-faceted beast". He added, "I think that we all have to see ourselves in each other. We all have to see that at some level we are all the same humanity. That is the key to equality".

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:20 pm on 22 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Limited edition 'Mario Pikachu' merchandise announced

short by Satyaki Das / 04:17 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have collaboratively announced a new 'Mario Pikachu' line of limited edition merchandise. The crossover features Pikachu wearing Mario's clothes and sporting Mario's signature moustache. The merchandise, which includes keychains, playing cards, notebooks, and T-shirts, will only be available in Pokémon Centre stores in Japan from October 29th.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:17 pm on 22 Oct

read more at The Verge

Google searches for 'nasty' hit all-time high

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:17 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

Google searches for the word 'nasty' hit all-time high worldwide after Republican candidate Donald Trump on Thursday called his opponent Hillary Clinton a "nasty woman". Google further said that searches for 'nasty' have spiked more than 10 times over their normal level. However, it's unclear if people were searching for singer Janet Jackson's 30-year-old hit 'Nasty' or news regarding Trump.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:17 pm on 22 Oct

read more at Engadget

Razer unveils 17-inch gaming laptop 'Blade Pro'

short by Satyaki Das / 04:16 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

Gaming peripheral maker Razer has unveiled its new 17-inch 'Blade Pro' gaming laptop. Besides sporting a desktop-class Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics unit, the 0.88 inch-thick Blade Pro features a quad-core Intel Core i7 6700HQ processor, 32GB RAM, a 4K G-Sync screen, low-profile mechanical keyboard and solid-state drive storage of up to 2TB. It is priced starting at $3,700.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:16 pm on 22 Oct

read more at YouTube

Editor's accidental 'Reply all' email reveals future layoffs

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:15 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

A sister publication of Wall Street Journal, Barron's editor Ed Finn on Friday accidentally hit the 'Reply All' option on an email where he was talking about the upcoming layoffs at the publication. Finn was intending to reply to Wall Street Journal's editor Gerard Baker, regarding employee buyout options. The WSJ has offered buyouts to a substantial number of employees.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:15 pm on 22 Oct

read more at Google

Pixel's SIM trays have Google's headquarters address

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:50 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

The SIM trays of the Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones bear the address of the company's headquarters. The SIM trays of the smartphone read, "1600 Amphitheatre, Mtn (Mountain) View, CA (California)". Notably, Google's rival Apple puts "Designed by Apple in California" on all its hardware products.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:50 pm on 22 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

Facebook employees threatened to quit over Trump's post

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:44 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

Some Facebook employees had threatened to quit after CEO Mark Zuckerberg decided to not delete Donald Trump's post calling for a ban on Muslims entering the US, according to Wall Street Journal. Zuckerberg had argued that it would be inappropriate to censor a presidential candidate. However, some employees believed that Trump's comments violated the platform's rules on hate speech.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:44 pm on 22 Oct

read more at Engadget

Nintendo unveils hybrid gaming system 'Switch'

short by Satyaki Das / 03:13 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

Japanese gaming company Nintendo has released an introductory video showcasing its new hybrid gaming system called Nintendo Switch. For TV gamers, the Switch module rests in a Switch Dock-connecting the system to a TV. Lifting the module from the dock transitions the system to portable mode, for mobile gamers. The gaming system will be launched in March 2017.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:13 pm on 22 Oct

read more at YouTube

Facebook growth in India faster than global average

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 02:44 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

Facebook grew faster in India at 22% year-on-year as against the global average of 17% in terms of daily active users. The social media giant currently has 7.7 crore daily active users in India. "[Facebook's] primary focus... is for the next billion people to come online and India is obviously a huge part of that," said Vice-President Adam Mosseri.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 02:44 pm on 22 Oct

read more at Livemint

Indian-origin scientist 3D-prints 'real' hands in lab

short by Satyaki Das / 01:09 pm on 22 Oct 2016,Saturday

A Michigan-based Indian-origin researcher and his team have created life-size 3D hand models, complete with fingerprints, using a high-resolution 3D printer that can produce the same ridges and valleys as a real finger. The team created the 'fake hands' to test the robustness and reliability of commercial fingerprint scanners used at banks and airport immigration counters.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:09 pm on 22 Oct

WhatsApp starts rolling out video calling feature

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:45 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

WhatsApp messenger has started rolling out video calling feature on its platform. Currently available as a beta version to Windows-powered smartphones, the feature is yet to be launched on Android and iOS platforms. Available under the WhatsApp call button, the feature also allows switching between front and rear cameras.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:45 pm on 21 Oct

read more at Google

Microsoft shares hit all-time high

short by Mansha Mahajan / 09:31 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

Shares of technology major Microsoft surged as much as 6.2% to hit an all-time high of $60.30, in nearly 17 years, after the software company posted quarterly earnings above expectations. This came after Microsoft said sales from its cloud product Azure rose 116%. Microsoft reported a 4.3% year-on-year decline in net profit in September quarter to $4.6 billion.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 09:31 pm on 21 Oct

read more at Reuters

Twitter, Spotify suffer outage after cyber attack in US

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:02 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

Micro-blogging site Twitter, music streaming leader Spotify, software developer site Github and many other websites suffered an outage for two hours on Friday after a US internet provider faced a cyber-attack. The internet provider, Dyn, has claimed that services of some of the world’s biggest corporations and internet firms including Pfizer, Visa and Netflix were also hit by the attack.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:02 pm on 21 Oct

read more at Hindustan Times

Samsung replaces Amitabh Bachchan's Note 7 with S7

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:00 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

Samsung on Friday replaced actor Amitabh Bachchan's Galaxy Note 7 smartphone with a Galaxy S7 handset. This comes after the actor in September took to Twitter to complain about his Galaxy Note 7 device, which was not charging beyond 60%. Bachchan had also said he would throw away his Samsung device and buy an iPhone instead if it isn't fixed.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:00 pm on 21 Oct

read more at India Today

Taking competition with Samsung to next level, tweets user

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:13 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

Reacting to Apple's iPhone 7 explosion in a car in Australia, a user tweeted, "Taking competition with Samsung to the next level". Another user tweeted, "When Telephone companies have the competition to make a bomb". A user also tweeted, "Don't buy a phone which has 7 against it". "Maybe number 7 is unlucky for both brands," tweeted a user.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:13 pm on 21 Oct

read more at Tweet Collection

FB censors cancer awareness video over animated breasts

short by Vani Vivek / 08:04 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

A breast cancer awareness video by the Swedish Cancer Society featuring animated images and information on how to conduct breast exams was recently taken down by Facebook. "Your ad cannot market sex products or services," was the social media company's explanation. The cancer society has now published an open letter depicting breasts as animated pink squares rather than pink circles.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:04 pm on 21 Oct

read more at The Guardian

Facebook translates 'madar***d' to 'Muslim', claim users

short by Vani Vivek / 08:01 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

Facebook users have reported that using the social media platform to translate the abuse "madar***d" from the Hindi script to English shows "Muslim" as the result. Screenshots of the bug in Facebook's translation tool have been shared on different social media platforms. While Facebook has not responded to the reports, the translation bug appears to have been fixed.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:01 pm on 21 Oct

read more at India Today

Sequoia-backed Creo stops making phones 6 mths after launch

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:44 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

Sequoia Capital-backed Indian smartphone maker Creo has completely stopped making smartphones, just six months after launching its first handset 'Mark 1'. The startup, which raised $3 million, has shifted its focus to building its operating system 'Fuel OS'. The startup reportedly sold around only 1,000 smartphones.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:44 pm on 21 Oct

read more at Google

New car brand unveils first car with a dedicated app store

short by Vani Vivek / 06:51 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

Chinese automotive manufacturing company Geely has launched a new car brand called Lynk & Co that claims its electric compact SUV '01' is "the most connected car in the world". The 01 is said to have the first dedicated app store for cars that includes a feature through which users can give friends access to the car through digital keys.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:51 pm on 21 Oct

read more at Engadget

Former HCL CEO Anant Gupta launches ₹100 crore tech fund

short by Vani Vivek / 06:50 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

Former HCL Technologies CEO Anant Gupta on Friday launched a ₹100 crore investment fund called 'Techcelx' to "help startups develop next-gen technology solutions to disrupt legacy operating models". The fund will invest between ₹50 lakh and ₹10 crore in start-ups focused on digital technologies such as machine learning, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and analytics.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:50 pm on 21 Oct

read more at Livemint

Researchers create digital version of Joey from Friends

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 06:42 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

Researchers at the University of Leeds have created a "virtually immortalized" chatbox or digital version of 'Friends' character Joey Tribbiani that can generate new sentences in his style. The team built a series of algorithms that can recognize individual characters, capturing their body language, facial expressions and voice. The team plans to expand the technique to other characters.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 06:42 pm on 21 Oct

read more at The Guardian

New bike lock that makes thieves vomit developed

short by Sanira Mediratta / 06:37 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

Inventors from SkunkLock have developed a bike lock that emits a special "smelly formula" on being cut, making the thief vomit. The security device, which costs around ₹6,600 ($99), is made up of a pressurised inside with a noxious chemical deterrent that induces vomit when exposed. The San Francisco-based team is currently seeking crowdfunding through website Indiegogo.

short by Sanira Mediratta / 06:37 pm on 21 Oct

read more at The Guardian

Samsung India unveils new Galaxy phone at ₹18,940

short by Vani Vivek / 06:05 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

Electronics major Samsung on Thursday unveiled its 'Galaxy On Nxt' smartphone in India at ₹18,940. Powered by a 1.6 GHz octa-core Exynos 7870 processor, the phone has a 5.5-inch display with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal memory. Galaxy On Nxt, which will be sold exclusively on Flipkart, has a 13 MP primary and 8 MP front camera.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:05 pm on 21 Oct

Developer spots hidden one-handed keyboard on iPhones

short by Vani Vivek / 06:04 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

An Irish developer on Thursday tweeted that he had discovered an inactive code for a one-handed keyboard in the iPhone that has been there since iOS 8. The feature brings character keys together and expands copy and paste buttons for easy access with one hand. The developer also created a way to activate the feature on jailbroken iPhones.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:04 pm on 21 Oct

read more at Engadget

Space is about to enter a golden age: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos

short by Vani Vivek / 05:20 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Thursday said he wants to build infrastructure that would allow businesses to be set up in space with his aeronautics company Blue Origin as "space is about to enter a golden age". Comparing businesses on the internet with his vision for space, he said, "Nobody predicted Snapchat...you can't predict what entrepreneurs can do in space."

short by Vani Vivek / 05:20 pm on 21 Oct

read more at The Verge

New case makes iPhone look like an exploded Note 7

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:15 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

A new $25 iPhone case called 'Explo-Sung' makes Apple smartphones look like exploded Samsung Note 7 handsets. It fits all the iPhone 5 and above models and features the Samsung logo on the back. Made by company UniqFind, which has previously made black and white marble-like covers for MacBooks, the iPhone case will start shipping in November.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:15 pm on 21 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Tesla asks owners not to use self-driving cars to make money

short by Vani Vivek / 05:13 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

Following the announcement of fitting all its new cars with fully self-driving hardware, electric carmaker Tesla has asked customers not to use the cars to earn money. "Using a self-driving Tesla for car sharing and ride-hailing for friends and family is fine, but doing so for revenue purposes will only be permissible on the Tesla Network," the company said.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:13 pm on 21 Oct

read more at The Next Web

iPhone 7 explodes in a car in Australia

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:43 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

Following Samsung's worldwide recall of Galaxy Note 7 over exploding batteries, an Australian man has claimed that Apple's latest smartphone, iPhone 7, exploded in his car. The man reportedly did not face any injuries as he wasn't inside the car when the phone exploded. Apple is in touch with the man and is investigating the matter.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:43 pm on 21 Oct

Why Tesla Model X’s doors open and close automatically

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:32 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

Elon Musk Co-founded electric vehicle startup Tesla's Model X, which was launched in 2015, automatically opens and closes its doors to drop off owners. The feature is a part of Tesla's larger plan to make cars able to drop its owner off and park itself. Musk on Wednesday revealed his plan to have fully self-driving capabilities in company's new cars.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:32 pm on 21 Oct

read more at The Verge

Samsung to launch only 4G smartphones in India

short by Vani Vivek / 04:08 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

South Korean electronics major Samsung has said it will sell only 4G/VoLTE enabled smartphones in India as "nearly 80% smartphone users have shifted to 4G-enabled handsets." Manu Sharma, Vice-President (Mobile) of Samsung India said the company has experienced growth in sales this year and expects to gain a bigger market share through new launches.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:08 pm on 21 Oct

In pics: Google's first pop-up store opens in New York

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:54 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

Google on Thursday opened its first pop-up store in New York City, where people can experience the company's newly-launched gadgets including Pixel phones and Daydream VR headset. It has glass cubicles designed to look like a living room and a kitchen, where Google's smart assistant 'Home' is showcased. The store is a couple of blocks away from rival Apple's store.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:54 pm on 21 Oct

read more at Photo Gallery

WikiLeaks makes Barack Obama's personal email public

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:49 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

WikiLeaks on Thursday made US President Barack Obama's personal email address 'bobama@ameritech.net' public. A reply from Obama through the email reveals that he uses a BlackBerry phone and his email domain is supplied by AT&T. The email, however, has been disabled and the emails sent to the address are bouncing back.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:49 pm on 21 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

HP unveils 33 printers in one day in India

short by Vani Vivek / 03:12 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

American technology company HP on Thursday launched 33 printers in India with 17 A4 printers and forayed into the A3 copier market with 16 printers. The A3 printers will make use of HP's recently launched PageWide technology that reportedly offers fast print speed with energy efficiency and up to 50% less cost per page than the comparable colour laser printers.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:12 pm on 21 Oct

read more at The Financial Express

Obama trolls Samsung over exploding Note 7 phones

short by Vani Vivek / 03:08 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

US President Obama on Thursday mocked the discontinued Samsung Galaxy Note 7 while describing issues in deploying the 'ObamaCare' Act. "When one of these companies comes out with a new smartphone, and it has a few bugs, what do they do? They fix it, they upgrade. Unless it catches fire...then they just pull it off the market," he said.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:08 pm on 21 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Retailer to give iPhone 7 on changing name to 'iPhone 7'

short by Daisy Mowke / 02:33 pm on 21 Oct 2016,Friday

Allo.ua, a mobile phone retailer in Ukraine has announced that it will give away Apple's iPhone7 for free to the first five people who change their names to 'iPhone Seven'. Participants will be required to show their new official identity documents before collecting the prize. The winners will be announced on the retailer's website.

short by Daisy Mowke / 02:33 pm on 21 Oct

read more at Google

Note 7 users furious as Samsung resists paying for damage

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 09:03 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

Multiple Samsung Note 7 users have reported that the company is resisting compensation for the damages caused when their handsets caught fire. This comes amid a recall of Note 7 while several cases of the handset catching fire were reported. "They (Samsung) weren't going to pay replacement costs of any damaged items", an owner whose Note 7 caught fire said.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 09:03 pm on 20 Oct

read more at The Guardian

Artificial intelligence can destroy society: Stephen Hawking

short by Vani Vivek / 08:44 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

British physicist Professor Stephen Hawking at the inauguration of Cambridge University's artificial intelligence (AI) centre on Wednesday said that AI will either "transform" society or destroy it. "Success in creating AI could be the biggest event in the history of our civilisation...but it could also be the last unless we learn how to avoid the risks," he said.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:44 pm on 20 Oct

read more at Hindustan Times

Video shows a Tesla car driving and parking itself

short by Vani Vivek / 07:21 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

A four-minute video shows a Tesla car driving completely by itself and parking in an empty lot without any human assistance. The car is fitted with eight 360-degree cameras and twelve sensors that can distinguish between hard and soft objects. A radar allows the car to 'see' through heavy rain, fog, dust and even the car ahead.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:21 pm on 20 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Qualcomm's 5G modem will be 400 times faster than 4G

short by Vani Vivek / 07:19 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

The speed of the world's first 5G modem announced by Qualcomm recently will be 400 times that of the global 4G average download speed, which is about 13.5 Mbps. The 'Snapdragon X50' modem can support download speed of up to 5 Gbps.The first devices integrating it are expected to be launched in 2018.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:19 pm on 20 Oct

read more at The Financial Express

Chrome's experimental browser comes to Android

short by Satyaki Das / 06:22 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

Chrome's experimental Canary browser has been made available on Android. Users will get to experience the new mobile browsing features alongside existing version of Chrome on Android devices. However, the browser will be automatically updated every weekday without human testing, so it is expected to be unstable or fail to run some times, the company claimed.

short by Satyaki Das / 06:22 pm on 20 Oct

read more at Engadget

Productivity app Slack integrates with Google Drive

short by Satyaki Das / 06:21 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

Productivity app Slack has integrated with Google Drive, which will let users create Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and share these files within Slack. Users' original sharing preferences will be preserved so that only user-specified people can access the files. Further, Drive files shared in Slack are automatically searchable, so users can quickly find past conversations and files.

short by Satyaki Das / 06:21 pm on 20 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Samsung blocks video of 'GTA V' Galaxy Note 7 bomb mod

short by Satyaki Das / 06:15 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

Samsung has blocked a YouTube video of GTA V gameplay in which the Galaxy Note 7 is being used as an explosive. This comes after a modder named HitmanNiko released a GTA V modification that replaces a handheld explosive called the 'sticky bomb' with a Samsung Galaxy Note 7. However, more such videos have popped up on YouTube.

short by Satyaki Das / 06:15 pm on 20 Oct

read more at Engadget

Video game software sales may hit ₹6.5 lakh cr by 2020

short by Satyaki Das / 06:14 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

Video game software sales may reach $6.5 lakh crore (around $98 billion) by 2020 worldwide, according to video game analyst firm DFC Intelligence. The intelligence firm also expects the software sales to increase by 8% to $79 billion this year. The analysis added that with the increase in software sales, the packaged games' sales are slowing down.

short by Satyaki Das / 06:14 pm on 20 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

Pinterest to match brands with content creators

short by Satyaki Das / 05:41 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

Content-sharing platform Pinterest has launched a new feature called 'Pin Collective' to match brands and advertisers with content creators. Using the feature, brands will be able to create more viral pins, which will increase engagement and generate revenue for Pinterest. Brands will pay creators directly for their work, and all negotiations will be managed by the brands and creators.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:41 pm on 20 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

Negative media on autonomous cars killing people: Elon Musk

short by Vani Vivek / 05:28 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

In response to a question about the safety of Tesla's autonomous systems, CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday said, "In writing some article that's negative, you effectively dissuade people from using an autonomous vehicle, you're killing people." He added that he finds the media coverage of Autopilot crashes "quite disturbing", as they are "basically almost none" relative to manual crashes.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:28 pm on 20 Oct

read more at Engadget

Over 1 million people still using Samsung Galaxy Note 7

short by Vani Vivek / 05:23 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

A Korean newspaper has reported that over a million people are still using the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone globally, despite the company having issued a recall over battery explosions. "Less than 10% of Note 7 users have turned in their Note 7s for refunds or exchanges", added the report.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:23 pm on 20 Oct

read more at India Today

Tesla targets fully self-driving road trip of over 4,400 km

short by Vani Vivek / 05:21 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

American electric carmaker Tesla is targeting a road trip from Los Angeles to New York, covering a distance of over 4,400 km, in one of its fully self-driving cars by end of 2017. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Wednesday the goal was to travel from "LA to Time Square in New York and then having the car park itself".

short by Vani Vivek / 05:21 pm on 20 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Mark Zuckerberg defends Peter Thiel's support of Trump

short by Vani Vivek / 05:17 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has defended the company's board member Peter Thiel's support of Donald Trump in a message to employees. Thiel recently pledged a donation of $1.25 million to Trump's campaign. "We can't create a culture that says it cares about diversity and then excludes almost half the country because they back a political candidate," Zuckerberg wrote.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:17 pm on 20 Oct

read more at Engadget

LeEco unveils self-driving car with foldable steering wheel

short by Vani Vivek / 05:16 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

Chinese technology company LeEco on Wednesday unveiled its autonomous electric car 'LeSee Pro' in San Francisco. The steering wheel of the car folds up and retreats into the dashboard when the car is in autonomous mode. It also features an exterior light display that shifts between five different colours to let pedestrians know which the mode the car is in.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:16 pm on 20 Oct

read more at Engadget

Tesla Autopilot will run on ‘shadow mode’ to prove safety

short by Vani Vivek / 04:31 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on Wednesday that all Tesla cars being produced will have the hardware to achieve full Level 5 self-driving. To prove the safety of Tesla's autonomous Autopilot mode, the cars will initially run with Autopilot in the background in "shadow mode" which will register how the car would have acted if the computer was in control.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:31 pm on 20 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

All new Tesla cars to have full self-driving capabilities

short by Vani Vivek / 04:30 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on Wednesday that all vehicles currently in production by the electric carmaker will have a fully self-driving hardware. The hardware, being installed on Tesla's Model S, X and forthcoming Model 3 sedans, will make the cars "substantially safer than a human driver". The cars will have 8 cameras with 360-degree viewing and 12 ultrasonic sensors.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:30 pm on 20 Oct

read more at Engadget

LeEco unveils Android-based 'Super Bike' in US debut

short by Vani Vivek / 03:54 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

Chinese technology company LeEco on Wednesday unveiled its Android-enabled 'Super Bike' in the US. The bike has a 30-speed shift, fingerprint scanner, built-in alarm and location tracker along with a 4-inch display touchscreen between the handlebars. While the price of the 7,090 mAh battery model has not been revealed, LeEco's bikes sell in China at a range of $800-$6,000.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:54 pm on 20 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

India witnesses possibly its biggest ATM security attack

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:51 pm on 20 Oct 2016,Thursday

As many as 32 lakh debit cards have been compromised following a financial data breach, claimed to be the biggest ever in India. The breach reportedly originated due to a malware in Hitachi Payment Services systems, which allowed hackers to steal information and funds. Notably, SBI and HDFC Bank are amongst the worst-hit card-issuing banks.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:51 pm on 20 Oct

read more at Hindustan Times

Russia launches 'closed' internet for data exchange

short by Parichit Mainra / 11:35 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Russian defence forces have reportedly launched an independent electronic communication system called 'Closed Data Transfer Segment' that is independent and protected from unlicensed connections. This system is aimed at enabling fast and safe transfer of classified information. The heavily restricted servers of the network will be located in every Russian military unit, reports said.

short by Parichit Mainra / 11:35 pm on 19 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Instagram launches suicide prevention tools

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:12 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Facebook-owned photo and video sharing platform Instagram has launched suicide prevention tools for its users. The tools will let users anonymously report a post that hints that a person is worried. Instagram will reach out to the concerned person with options to talk to a friend, contact a helpline or receive tips and support.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:12 pm on 19 Oct

read more at Engadget

Video shows 32 GB iPhone 7 is 8 times slower than 256 GB

short by Vani Vivek / 08:07 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

A four-minute YouTube video shows a series of speed tests being performed on the 32 GB and 256 GB variants of iPhone 7. The 'PerformanceTest Mobile' app showed that the 32 GB iPhone has a storage write speed of 42 MB per second, which is over eight times slower than the 256 GB version's 341 MB per second.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:07 pm on 19 Oct

read more at YouTube

Mark Zuckerberg shares pictures of art at Facebook offices

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:58 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Facebook Co-Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has shared the pictures of various art pieces made by emerging artists and employees at the company's offices across the world. "When you step onto our campus, you should feel like you can shape the world around you," Zuckerberg said. Facebook has a print studio and art workshop for employees in its US campus.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:58 pm on 19 Oct

read more at Photo Gallery

There's no timetable for profitability: YouTube CEO

short by Vani Vivek / 07:51 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Speaking at a summit on Tuesday, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said there's no timetable for profitability and the video platform is still in investment mode. YouTube does not disclose its earnings separately from parent company Alphabet, but its revenue is pegged to be in billions. The company claims a billion monthly users, a third of all people on the internet.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:51 pm on 19 Oct

read more at Google

Firm creates autonomous suitcase that follows owners

short by Vani Vivek / 07:29 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

San Francisco-based startup Travelmate Robotics has created an autonomous suitcase that follows its users by tracking the location of their smartphone through a connected app. The 'Travelmate' suitcase can travel at a top speed of 10.8 kmph and has built-in sensors that can avoid obstacles like people and furniture. Travelmate is available for pre-order starting at $399 (about ₹26,600).

short by Vani Vivek / 07:29 pm on 19 Oct

read more at YouTube

MacBooks to have display-changing keyboards: Report

short by Vani Vivek / 07:24 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Technology giant Apple has reportedly partnered with Australian startup Sonder Design to incorporate E-Ink keyboards which can be customised to change the keys displayed into its MacBook laptops by 2018. The keyboard can display app-specific layouts or be customised by users to set their own hotkeys. An existing similar concept by Sonder can be connected to Macs using Bluetooth.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:24 pm on 19 Oct

read more at The Verge

We're busy preparing for integration with Verizon: Yahoo CEO

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:16 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

While reporting Yahoo's third quarter earnings on Tuesday, the search engine's CEO Marissa Mayer said, "We are busy preparing for integration with Verizon". This comes after reports that Verizon, which agreed to buy Yahoo at $4.83 billion in an all-cash deal, was rethinking its bid after Yahoo confirmed a massive breach of 500 million account details.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:16 pm on 19 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Naspers valuation less than what it owns in China's Tencent

short by Vani Vivek / 07:07 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Africa's most valuable company Naspers holds a 34% stake worth $88 billion today in Chinese internet company Tencent Holdings, while its own value is $72 billion. The media company had invested $34 million in Tencent in 2011. Naspers and Tencent jointly held a 91% and 9% stake in ibibo respectively, which was sold to Indian travel platform MakeMyTrip on Tuesday.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:07 pm on 19 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Alphabet share price highest since IPO on Pixel reviews

short by Vani Vivek / 06:25 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Shares of technology giant Google's parent company Alphabet reached a record high on Tuesday following positive reviews for its latest Pixel smartphones. The company's stock hit $828, the highest price since Google's initial public offering in 2004. Alphabet is expected to report its earnings for the quarter ended September 2016 on October 27.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:25 pm on 19 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Microsoft claims its speech recognition reached human parity

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:39 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Technology major Microsoft on Tuesday claimed that its speech recognition technology can now recognize the words in a conversation as good as a human does. The technology makes the same or fewer errors than professional transcriptionists. It is reportedly for the first time that a computer has recognized the words in a conversation as well as a person would.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:39 pm on 19 Oct

read more at Mashable

Amazon patents voice-controlled pocket size drone

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:32 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Amazon has patented a voice-controlled drone that's small enough to fit in the pocket. Amazon says that the drone can help find lost cars in parking lots, lost children in a grocery store, and tell how many persons are ahead of the owner in a queue. It would also respond to instructions from an app and return to its owner.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:32 pm on 19 Oct

read more at Recode

Ecuador confirms it cut Wikileaks founder Assange's internet

short by Vani Vivek / 05:12 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Ecuador has confirmed that it cut off internet access in its London embassy temporarily to keep WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange from interfering in the US presidential election. WikiLeaks has been publishing hacked emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign Chairman John Podesta. However, Ecuador reiterated its intention to "safeguard his life and physical integrity until he reaches a safe place".

short by Vani Vivek / 05:12 pm on 19 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Man makes smoking Galaxy Note 7 Halloween costume

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:58 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

A man named Chris Kiley has posted a video on Facebook, showing him wearing a smoke-emitting Halloween costume made of Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 smartphone boxes. "This Halloween I'm going as a fire hazard #note7 #note7recall #halloween," Kiley posted on Facebook. This comes after Samsung issued a global recall of its Note 7 smartphones over concerns of exploding batteries.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:58 pm on 19 Oct

read more at Facebook

Tim Cook, Bill Gates were potential VP choices for Clinton

short by Vani Vivek / 03:46 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

According to leaked emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign manager John Podesta, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates were part of the "first cut of people worth considering" as candidates for Clinton's Vice President. Other names on the list, which Podesta said were organised into "food groups", included Melinda Gates and Xerox CEO Ursula Burns.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:46 pm on 19 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Samsung tried to bribe man to hide exploding phone's video

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:38 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

South Korean electronics major Samsung reportedly tried to bribe a Chinese man to keep the video of his exploding Galaxy Note 7 smartphone private. Two Samsung employees offered him a new Note 7 and about $900 in compensation on the condition to keep the video private. “This is an issue of deception. They are cheating Chinese consumers," said the man.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:38 pm on 19 Oct

read more at Google

Glassdoor tool lets users check if they are being underpaid

short by Vani Vivek / 03:37 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Online job search portal Glassdoor has introduced a new tool to help people gain insight into how much money they make in comparison to other people working the same or similar job. The 'Know Your Worth' tool calculates an individual's estimated market value based on the job title, employer, current salary, location and years of relevant work experience.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:37 pm on 19 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Google allows booking Ola, Uber directly from Search

short by Vani Vivek / 03:36 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Google India on Wednesday added a functionality for Android and iOS users to allow booking Ola or Uber cabs directly from Google Search. On searching for directions, users will be shown a tab for cab services with fare estimates. After the user selects from Ola or Uber, Google will redirect them to the app to book rides with one tap

short by Vani Vivek / 03:36 pm on 19 Oct

read more at Google Blog

Self-driving car collides with truck in Singapore

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:34 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

US-based self-driving car startup nuTonomy's car on Tuesday collided with a truck in Singapore during an attempt to change the lane. No one was hurt in the accident where two engineers were onboard the self-driving car traveling slowly. In September, Uber's rival Grab partnered with nuTonomy to allow some users to book driverless cars via its app in Singapore.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:34 pm on 19 Oct

read more at Reuters

Salesforce acquisition list did not include Twitter

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:33 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

American cloud computing major Salesforce was analysing 14 possible acquisition targets, but that did not include Twitter, a leaked company presentation from May 2016 has revealed. It further claims Salesforce was interested in buying Adobe and LinkedIn among others. Few days ago, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff confirmed that his company isn't buying Twitter as "it was not the right fit".

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:33 pm on 19 Oct

read more at Google

Higgs Boson scientist develops birth control algorithm

short by Rini Kapoor / 03:26 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Elina Berglund, one of the scientists who helped discover the Higgs boson particle, has developed a birth control algorithm, which has an efficiency of 99.5%. The 'Natural Cycles' app's users need to input their body temperatures daily and it will tell them when they can have unprotected sex (a green day), and when to use contraceptives (a red day).

short by Rini Kapoor / 03:26 pm on 19 Oct

read more at Google

Facebook, Twitter bid for IPL media rights

short by Saloni Tandon / 02:21 pm on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Social networking platforms Facebook and Twitter are among 18 contenders vying for the IPL media rights starting from the 2018 season. Other contenders for the media rights, currently held by Sony Pictures, include Star India, Amazon.com, Reliance Jio, and ESPN Digital Media. BCCI is awarding television rights, digital rights and media rights for different regions across different periods.

short by Saloni Tandon / 02:21 pm on 19 Oct

read more at The Verge

Google's DeepMind AI can now learn without human input

short by Satyaki Das / 10:02 am on 19 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Google's AI platform 'DeepMind' has become capable of teaching itself based on information it already possesses, without additional human input, Deepmind researchers claimed. It has a new hybrid system, Differential Neural Computer, which combines a neural network with existing data storage capacity of conventional computers. Over time, the AI will use its acquired data to get more efficient.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:02 am on 19 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Smart crib mimics womb's sound to put baby to sleep

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:18 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

MIT engineers and a designer have created a $1,500 smart crib called 'Snoo', which mimics the sound of a mother's womb to put a baby to sleep. With three built-in microphones, the crib detects when a baby is crying, and starts playing the sound. The crib also starts shaking slowly to help a child go to sleep.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:18 pm on 18 Oct

read more at Engadget

Netflix admits its plan for China didn't work out

short by Mansha Mahajan / 09:12 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Streaming video service Netflix on Tuesday acknowledged that its expansion plans in China have come up short, adding it'll halt any and all launch plans in the country. "The regulatory environment for foreign digital content services in China has become challenging," Netflix stated. Netflix will instead license content to local companies in China, from which it reportedly expects modest revenue.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 09:12 pm on 18 Oct

read more at The Verge

Porn sites block California users to protest proposed law

short by Vani Vivek / 08:01 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Several porn websites on Monday blocked Californian users from their sites to protest against a proposed law which would make condoms mandatory in adult films shot in the state. The websites displayed pop-ups urging visitors to vote 'no' on the proposition in November. The law would allow any Californian resident to sue producers of porn if it doesn't feature condoms.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:01 pm on 18 Oct

read more at Engadget

WikiLeaks claims Ecuador cut off Assange's internet access

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:51 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

WikiLeaks on Monday claimed that Founder Julian Assange's internet connection was cut off by Ecuador. "We can confirm Ecuador cut off Assange's internet access Saturday, 5pm GMT, shortly after publication of Clinton's Goldman Sachs speeches," WikiLeaks tweeted. "Ecuador will continue to protect Julian Assange and uphold the political asylum granted to him in 2012," said the Ecuadorian government.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:51 pm on 18 Oct

read more at The Guardian

Apple releases update to fix iPhone 7 connectivity issues

short by Vani Vivek / 07:35 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Apple on Monday released an iOS update to fix the cellular connectivity issues faced by Verizon users on its iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus smartphones in the US. Customers had complained of experiencing signal drops and 'unexplainable' issues with GPS on these phones. The update has only been made available to users of the latest iPhone models.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:35 pm on 18 Oct

read more at The Verge

Uber uses drones to advertise to drivers stuck in traffic

short by Vani Vivek / 07:31 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Ride-hailing startup Uber has been using drones to advertise its carpooling service 'UberPool' to drivers stuck in traffic in Mexico City. One of the Spanish signs said, "Driving by yourself? This is why you can never see the volcanoes", referring to smog in the city. However, the company has said it will not replicate the strategy in other markets.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:31 pm on 18 Oct

read more at The Verge

Vodafone partners with HiWeb to enter Iranian market

short by Mansha Mahajan / 07:30 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Telecom major Vodafone has agreed to partner with Iranian internet firm HiWeb to help modernise the latter's network, making the UK-based company the latest to enter Iran after US sanctions were lifted. Through this agreement, Vodafone's corporate customers will benefit from quality network services in Iran and HiWEB will be able to access Vodafone's global expertise, Vodafone stated.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 07:30 pm on 18 Oct

read more at Reuters

Xiaomi creates bendable touchscreen: Report

short by Mansha Mahajan / 07:29 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

According to a 30-second video, Chinese electronics manufacturer Xiaomi has reportedly created a real, tangible bendable phone that also responds to touch. The device in the video appears to be running on Xiaomi’s MIUI 8 Android fork. Earlier this year, Bloomberg reports had stated that Samsung might also release two smartphones with bendable screens in 2017.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 07:29 pm on 18 Oct

read more at The Verge

Apple gives self-driving car team 2017 deadline: Report

short by Vani Vivek / 07:15 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Apple has reportedly given the team working on its self-driving project called 'Project Titan' a deadline of late next year to prove the system's feasibility. Apple is said to have laid off and reassigned hundreds of employees from the Project Titan team. Earlier, Apple reportedly changed directions from building its own self-driving car to only working on autonomous car software.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:15 pm on 18 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Samsung setting up Note 7 exchange points at airports

short by Vani Vivek / 07:15 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Samsung is setting up Galaxy Note 7 exchange booths in airports around the world to allow Note 7 owners to exchange their phones for other devices. Such 'customer service points' have been established in South Korea, Australia and US so far. Samsung employees at the booths are also helping customers transfer data onto the exchanged phones before boarding their planes.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:15 pm on 18 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Qualcomm announces first device to support 1 Gbps speed

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:56 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

American technology major Qualcomm has announced a mobile hotspot, the first product to support Gigabit LTE, a wireless technology that supports speeds up to 1 Gbps. During company testing, average speeds ranged between 112-307 Mbps, with a peak of 533 Mbps, which is faster than most speeds achievable by current devices. It will available before the end of 2016.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:56 pm on 18 Oct

read more at YouTube

Apple may kill USB port in the new MacBook Pro

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:50 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Apple may reportedly not have a USB port in its new MacBook Pro laptops. The laptops would likely have a USB Type C port, which could be used for charging, as the company is also looking to do away with MagSafe 2 and Thunderbolt 2 ports, commonly used for charging. Apple is rumoured to unveil new laptops later this month.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:50 pm on 18 Oct

read more at The Next Web

OnePlus to sell smartphones at ₹1 in Diwali sale

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:55 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus has announced a 'Diwali Dash Sale', where it will let users buy handsets and accessories at ₹1 from October 24-26 through flash sales. Unlike other flash sales, the users will not be aware of the product they purchase and 'Mystery Boxes' will be given to them, which may also contain the OnePlus 3 Soft Gold version.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:55 pm on 18 Oct

read more at YouTube

New Google feature indicates best time to buy plane tickets

short by Vani Vivek / 05:20 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Google on Monday updated its 'Google Flights' app to notify users when the price of a flight is expected to increase. A pop-up card will indicate how much the cost will go up for selected flights and in how many days. Additionally, the app will share tips on how to find cheaper tickets by showing nearby airports and alternative dates.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:20 pm on 18 Oct

read more at Google Blog

NASA unveils new facility to test electric aircraft

short by Satyaki Das / 05:16 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

NASA has announced the 'Electric Aircraft Testbed', a new research wing to test electric aircraft at the NASA Glenn Research Centre's Plum Brook Station in Ohio. The facility will enable NASA engineers to design, develop and test electric aircraft like the GL-10 Greased Lightning VTOL. NASA had earlier announced its goal to transition to electric aircraft systems within 10 years.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:16 pm on 18 Oct

read more at Engadget

Acer launches Chromebook with 12-hr battery life at $199

short by Vani Vivek / 05:13 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Acer on Monday launched a new version of Chromebook 15 which claims to provide 12 hours of battery life on a single charge starting at $199 (₹13,280). The Chromebook has a 15.6-inch display and weighs about 1.95 kg. The base model of the Chrome OS notebook comes with 16GB storage and 2GB RAM in addition to 100GB of Google Storage.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:13 pm on 18 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Apple hires CMU professor as director of AI research

short by Satyaki Das / 05:08 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Apple has hired Carnegie Mellon University professor Ruslan Salakhutdinov as director of artificial intelligence (AI) research. Salakhutdinov's research experience lies in the human-like understanding of media, recognising objects in images and actions in videos. Earlier, CEO Tim Cook had announced the company would be establishing a research lab in Yokohama partly dedicated to researching AI.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:08 pm on 18 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Google launches Firebase Cloud Messaging for web

short by Satyaki Das / 05:01 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Google has announced it is introducing Firebase Cloud Messaging for web applications, a service that lets developers send push notifications for their apps to end users' devices. Until now, it was only possible to send push notifications via Android and iOS apps with the Firebase service. Google acquired backend database startup Firebase in 2014 to boost public cloud capabilities.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:01 pm on 18 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

Samsung launches Tizen OS-based contest for mobile devs

short by Satyaki Das / 04:59 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Samsung has announced a new competition for mobile game developers worldwide, in a bid to promote its new Tizen operating system. Developers with Android or iOS games made with the Unity engine and having at least 10,000 downloads can participate in the contest. The contest, with a top prize of $20,000, requires the developers to port their games to Tizen.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:59 pm on 18 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

Man creates 'drone spotlight' using 1,000W LED strip

short by Satyaki Das / 04:15 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

US filmmaker Daniel Riley has created what he dubbed "the world's brightest flashlight" by attaching his homemade 1000 Watt LED light panel to the underside of a Freefly Alta 8-rotor drone. He has released a video showcasing his creation, featuring shots of the drone illuminating forests, building tops and a metal bridge.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:15 pm on 18 Oct

read more at YouTube

Razer acquires George Lucas-founded audio company THX

short by Satyaki Das / 04:13 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Gaming peripheral maker Razer has acquired THX, the audio company founded by Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchise creator George Lucas, for an undisclosed amount. Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan said the "main reason for the acquisition is the phenomenal brand that THX have" that can help Razer establish itself as "an entertainment powerhouse [across] music, movies, and games".

short by Satyaki Das / 04:13 pm on 18 Oct

read more at The Verge

Everybody’s way too overhyped on VR: Ashton Kutcher

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:02 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

American actor Ashton Kutcher in a recent interview said, "Everybody is way too overhyped on VR (Virtual Reality)". Kutcher, who currently produces and acts in the Netflix sitcom 'The Ranch' added, "Now that Netflix is spending $1 billion-plus on content creation, it’s pretty clear the tide has already shifted".

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:02 pm on 18 Oct

read more at Recode

Twitter worth less than its Chinese clone Weibo

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:36 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Twitter's Chinese clone Weibo is now worth more than Twitter, with a market cap of $11.35 billion, compared to Twitter's $11.34 billion. Weibo made its IPO in 2014 at a valuation of $3.4 billion, when Twitter was valued at $26.8 billion. While Twitter lost 5 million monthly active users in a year, Weibo gained 70 million new users last year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:36 pm on 18 Oct

read more at Mashable

Samsung to compensate Galaxy Note 7 parts suppliers

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:36 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Technology major Samsung Electronics on Tuesday said that it will compensate the component suppliers for its discontinued Galaxy Note 7 smartphones and consider giving them orders for other models. Samsung will fully pay for unused Note 7 parts that have already been manufactured and compensate for unfinished components and materials bought to make Note 7 parts, the company stated.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:36 pm on 18 Oct

read more at Reuters

Disney dropped Twitter deal over image concerns: Report

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:30 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Entertainment firm Walt Disney decided not to pursue a bid for Twitter partly out of concern that bullying and other uncivil forms of communication on the microblogging site might soil the company’s family image, sources said. Disney reportedly hired investment banks JPMorgan Chase and Guggenheim Partners, to help evaluate the bid. Notably, Salesforce and Google also decided against the bid.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:30 pm on 18 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Pornhub reports 213% increase in clown porn searches

short by Vani Vivek / 03:09 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Pornhub has reported a 213% increase in searches for clown-related porn over the last few weeks, following increased sightings and attacks by clowns in the UK and US. The site also said that proportionately, women are 33% more likely to search for clown porn than men. The most popular search is "clown porn" followed by "clown girl" and "clown gangbang".

short by Vani Vivek / 03:09 pm on 18 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Netflix shares surge 22% after rise in subscribers

short by Vani Vivek / 03:07 pm on 18 Oct 2016,Tuesday

American entertainment company Netflix on Monday reported an addition of over 50% more subscribers than estimated by analysts to its streaming service in the third quarter, causing its shares to surge by 22%. Netflix added 3.2 million subscribers, bringing its total to 86.7 million customers internationally. It also reported that its Q3 revenue had risen by 32% to $2.29 billion.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:07 pm on 18 Oct

read more at Reuters

Twitter introduces 'Bigg Boss 10' emoji

short by Rini Sinha / 11:59 pm on 17 Oct 2016,Monday

Microblogging website Twitter has introduced an emoji for the tenth edition of the Salman Khan-hosted reality TV show Bigg Boss. Launched on Sunday, the eye symbol of the show will be activated when people tweet using hashtags like #BiggBoss, #BiggBoss10 and #BB10. A total of 15 contestants, including commoners and celebrities, are participating in the show.

short by Rini Sinha / 11:59 pm on 17 Oct

read more at The Financial Express

iPhone 7 users in China complain of call connection problems

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:39 pm on 17 Oct 2016,Monday

Weeks after Apple launched its latest smartphone iPhone 7 in China, some users in the country are complaining of problems with the call connection. Some users have claimed that they are unable to receive incoming calls from mobile networks in standby mode. Another user reported of the device being 'out of service' even after being replaced from Apple's service center.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:39 pm on 17 Oct

read more at The Financial Express

Samsung tested Note 7 batteries at in-house lab

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:19 pm on 17 Oct 2016,Monday

Samsung, which discontinued its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone over exploding batteries, had its batteries tested at a company-owned lab. Samsung's lab is housed inside its own testing facilities unlike its rivals Apple, Lenovo and LG, which conduct their battery tests at third-party sites. Samsung is still investigating the reason behind the overheating of Note 7's battery.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:19 pm on 17 Oct

read more at Engadget

Twitter is a graveyard of bullies: Chetan Bhagat

short by Chhavi Tyagi / 06:15 pm on 17 Oct 2016,Monday

Banker-turned-author Chetan Bhagat, whose book 'One Indian Girl', released recently, has said that Twitter is going to suffer and will close down like Orkut and Myspace in five years. Claiming that the platform has become a graveyard of bullies, Bhagat added, "Trolls have made Twitter negative to a point where celebrities have stopped talking much on the platform."

short by Chhavi Tyagi / 06:15 pm on 17 Oct

read more at The Financial Express

Video trolls Google's new Pixel smartphone

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:08 pm on 17 Oct 2016,Monday

YouTuber SuperiorSandbox has trolled Google’s official 'Introducing Pixel' advertisement by making a similar video featuring a Motorola Nexus 6 smartphone. The video points out that some new features in Pixel being advertised by Google were already available in the Motorola Nexus 6 handset launched in 2014. Notably, Google has stopped supporting Nexus 6 devices from October this year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:08 pm on 17 Oct

read more at YouTube

Facebook Messenger testing a data saver mode

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:03 pm on 17 Oct 2016,Monday

Facebook Messenger is currently testing a 'Data Saver' mode for its Android app. With the data saving mode, Messenger, which automatically downloads the media files that a user receives, downloads a file only when a user taps on it. The data saver mode also comes with a counter, which shows the user how much data it has saved.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:03 pm on 17 Oct

Google working on new search index for mobile: Report

short by Satyaki Das / 04:58 pm on 17 Oct 2016,Monday

Google is creating a new primary search index for smartphones to improve the web experience for mobile users, according to a report. The mobile index will be more up-to-date than the separate desktop index, the report added. The new index will replace the current system that extracts data from desktop content to determine mobile search rankings.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:58 pm on 17 Oct

Oculus Quill lets users create 3D illustrations in VR

short by Satyaki Das / 04:16 pm on 17 Oct 2016,Monday

Facebook-owned Virtual Reality (VR) firm Oculus recently demonstrated the Quill, a creation tool that can be used to create 3D illustrations for VR in VR, at its Oculus Connect event. Using Oculus' Touch controllers and motion cameras, Quill users can select different brushes and colours, swing their hands through the air, and each stroke appears instantly on a 3D canvas.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:16 pm on 17 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

'The Simpsons' 600th episode features VR scene

short by Satyaki Das / 04:02 pm on 17 Oct 2016,Monday

Popular cartoon sitcom 'The Simpsons' offered a scene in virtual reality (VR) using Google Cardboard, in celebration of the series' 600th episode. Titled 'Planet of the Couches', the short experience is reportedly inspired by the classic science fiction film Planet of the Apes, and features VR in the opening couch scene.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:02 pm on 17 Oct

read more at Mashable

Music video features singer's animated 3D printed bust

short by Satyaki Das / 03:52 pm on 17 Oct 2016,Monday

The music video for Australian alternative rock singer Dan Sultan's latest single 'Magnetic', features a stop-motion film of a 3D printed bust of him. Since he "couldn't be around" to be filmed for the project, the studio decided to use a 3D scan of his head. The video required 60 3D printed parts, 2,700 images and two months to complete.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:52 pm on 17 Oct

read more at The Verge

Ping pong table that plays music to game's rhythm made

short by Satyaki Das / 02:05 pm on 17 Oct 2016,Monday

Seattle-based designers have created 'Ping Pong FM', a ping pong table that plays music and modifies the rhythm corresponding to the game's pace. For this, the designers embedded microphones in the ping pong paddles and fitted a microcontroller unit to relay information between the paddles and a music player. Once a player misses a hit, the music stops.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:05 pm on 17 Oct

read more at YouTube

Japanese robot 'sweats' to cool down during exercise

short by Satyaki Das / 12:34 pm on 17 Oct 2016,Monday

University of Tokyo researchers have created a robot that mimics the human tendency to sweat to cool the body during exercise. Kengoro the robot was built using a porous aluminium frame containing water channels, allowing it to seep out when the motors heat up after prolonged motion. The method was found to be thrice as efficient as conventional air cooling.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:34 pm on 17 Oct

read more at YouTube

Experts discover two 'cavities' in Egypt's Great Pyramid

short by Satyaki Das / 11:21 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza could contain two previously unknown 'cavities', said scientists studying the millennia-old monument. Using radiography and 3D reconstruction, the scientists were able to point out two "voids" in the pyramid, one behind its northern face and another behind its north-eastern flank. The pyramid was built 4,500 years ago under ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:21 pm on 16 Oct

read more at Google

Drone to capture stray drones made

short by Satyaki Das / 11:18 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

US-based company, Airspace has unveiled a 'drone bounty hunter', a quadcopter that is designed to capture other stray drones that infringe on private airspace. The drone uses machine vision and deep learning to detect unwanted drones in the sky and lock onto them. It then uses a net-like mechanism to capture the stray drones without damaging them.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:18 pm on 16 Oct

read more at The Verge

Company creates Bluetooth speaker for infants

short by Satyaki Das / 11:14 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

Los Angeles-based firm Wavhello, which makes technology products for families, has launched a $60 Bluetooth speaker for babies. Called SoundBub, the toy animal-shaped speaker also includes a white noise maker to lull babies to sleep. It is made of chew-safe material, and comes with preloaded sounds, as well as the option to play recorded music remotely from parents' phones.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:14 pm on 16 Oct

read more at The Verge

Samsung to launch Chromebook with touchscreen: Reports

short by Satyaki Das / 11:08 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

Samsung will soon launch a Chromebook with touchscreen and stylus, according to reports. The Samsung Chromebook Pro is said to come with a 12.3 inch 2,400x1,600 pixel touchscreen that can rotate 360 degrees, 32GB of storage, 4GB of RAM, and an all-metal 12.9 mm-thick body. While an official launch date is unannounced, the Chromebook is expected to be priced $500.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:08 pm on 16 Oct

read more at The Verge

Mercedes self-driving car to save passengers, not bystanders

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:19 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

Global automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz's self-driving cars will choose to save the lives of its driver and passengers over the lives of pedestrians, company's executive Christoph von Hugo has said. "If you know you can save at least one person, at least save that one...Save the one in the car," he added. However, Mercedes engineers are working to prevent such situations.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:19 pm on 16 Oct

read more at Google

Drones being used in Hurricane Matthew recovery efforts

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:50 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

Drones are being used by NASA, insurance companies and other organisations to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew and conduct recovery efforts. While NASA used drones into and around the storm to collect meteorological data, an insurance company sent a drone instead of a person to check property damage. Drone footage is also being used to carry rescue efforts.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:50 pm on 16 Oct

read more at Recode

Alibaba's new app lets users pay by nodding

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:07 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba recently demonstrated its app 'VR Pay', that will let customers shopping in virtual reality to make payments by nodding their heads. People using virtual reality goggles to browse Alibaba's virtual reality shopping malls will be able to pay for their purchases without taking off the goggles. The users, however, would still need to enter their password.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:07 pm on 16 Oct

read more at Reuters

Panasonic develops TV prototype that looks like glass

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:50 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

Japanese electronics maker Panasonic has created a prototype of a television that looks like a glass panel. The prototype generates bright and clear images like normal televisions. Embedded into a glass sliding door, the television can be switched between two modes - 'transparent mode' to see the items behind glass, and 'screen mode' to watch the television.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:50 pm on 16 Oct

read more at Google

Netflix may add offline mode before year end

short by Satyaki Das / 05:34 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

Web streaming service Netflix will reportedly add an offline viewing feature for desktop and mobile applications of its video streaming service before the end of the year. Earlier, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings had said that offline mode was "never going to happen". Later in April this year, he said he is "keeping an open mind" about it.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:34 pm on 16 Oct

read more at The Next Web

US technology company offers Tesla car to new employees

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:57 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

A US-based technology company, Axon is offering the yet to launch Tesla Model 3 sedans to its new employees, which include a web developer and some engineers. The sedan is being given to the employees who commit to stay in the company for at least 90 days. Existing workers are also being offered the sedan on referring three new workers.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:57 pm on 16 Oct

read more at Autoblog

White House open sources Obama’s Messenger bot

short by Satyaki Das / 04:49 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

The White House has shared the open-source code for President Obama's Facebook Messenger chatbot on codesharing platform Github. According to an official statement, The White House said it's sharing the code "with the hope that other governments and developers can build similar services - and foster similar connections with their citizens - with significantly less upfront investment".

short by Satyaki Das / 04:49 pm on 16 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

Samsung launches Galaxy TabPro S Gold Edition at $1,000

short by Satyaki Das / 04:22 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

Samsung has introduced a Gold Edition to its 12-inch Galaxy TabPro S tablet that it launched early this year. Priced at $1,000, the new TabPro S sports a gold finish on its magnesium alloy body. It also features an upgraded 8 GB RAM, 256 GB solid state hard drive, and battery backup of up to 10.5 hours video playback.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:22 pm on 16 Oct

read more at Engadget

Google releases new ad 'Pose by you' for Pixel phone

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:08 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

Search giant Google has released a new advertisement titled 'Pose by you' for its first ever smartphone 'Pixel', which is scheduled to launch on October 20. The 30-second long advertisement features a poodle posing for a picture. It follows the series of other advertisements - 'Together by you' and 'Crush by you', released earlier by Google featuring the Pixel phones.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:08 pm on 16 Oct

read more at YouTube

Scent created to alert internet users of data leaks

short by Vani Vivek / 04:07 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

A team of designers have created a prototype device that gives off a metallic scent called 'Smell of Data' when users visit an unprotected website on an unsecured WiFi network or hotspot. Users can connect their smartphone, tablet or computer to a specially designed scent dispenser via WiFi which releases the scent on detecting a potential data leak.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:07 pm on 16 Oct

read more at Report

VR to be used to remind Mars astronauts of home

short by Rini Kapoor / 03:08 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

NASA scientists are researching on the prospects of using virtual and augmented reality experiences to help astronauts fight the "sensory and social monotony" of a Mars mission. Scientists hope to create a library comprising of inspirational messages, which would remind the astronauts of their mission on the Red Planet and help them feel connected with their families on Earth.

short by Rini Kapoor / 03:08 pm on 16 Oct

read more at Engadget

Apple removes iPhone anti-theft cables in some stores

short by Vani Vivek / 02:37 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

Apple has removed security cables which activate alarms when disconnected from display iPhone models at some of its stores in UK and Canada. According to the technology giant, the move will allow people to hold the smartphones properly and see how they feel in their pockets. However, the phones will still set off alarms if taken out of the store.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:37 pm on 16 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

Google Pixel accidentally sent to man a week before launch

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:21 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

A Google Pixel smartphone was accidentally sent by a carrier to an Australian man, a week before the smartphone's official launch scheduled for October 20. The man shared the pictures, videos and unboxing shots of the phone online. He claimed that the new phone has all new ringtones and no extra Google apps are pre-installed on the device.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:21 pm on 16 Oct

read more at Mashable

Samsung S7 users report receiving Note 7 software update

short by Vani Vivek / 01:39 pm on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

Some owners of Samsung's Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones have reported receiving a software update which brings some of Galaxy Note 7's features. The update adds enhanced customisation options like background images and font settings on the 'Always On Display' background. Samsung on Tuesday announced that it was discontinuing production of Galaxy Note 7 following reports of battery explosions.

short by Vani Vivek / 01:39 pm on 16 Oct

read more at Engadget

US to fine air passengers carrying Samsung Note 7

short by Parichit Mainra / 12:44 am on 16 Oct 2016,Sunday

Passengers who carry Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in flights will be fined and their phones will be confiscated under an emergency order issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration on Friday. Recently, Samsung completely stopped production of its Note 7 smartphones and issued a global recall after even replacement units were found to explode.

short by Parichit Mainra / 12:44 am on 16 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Startup unveils self-driving garden cleaning robot

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:00 pm on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

A New York-based startup has unveiled 'Kobi', a $4,000 fully self-driving robot that can cut grass, collect leaves, and clear snow from the garden. The robot can also be controlled by the owner through a dedicated smartphone app. The robot, which travels at a speed of 3 kmph, automatically docks itself to the charging station when its battery gets drained.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:00 pm on 15 Oct

read more at YouTube

Samsung Chairman loses $1.2 billion in 2 days

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:05 pm on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

Lee Kun-hee, Chairman of the Samsung Group, lost $1.2 billion in two days from his net worth after the company announced to end sales of Galaxy Note 7 on Tuesday. The South Korean business magnate's net worth fell from $15 billion to $13.8 billion after Samsung's shares slumped almost 8% following the recall.

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:05 pm on 15 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

'50% Firefox users served encrypted data for 1st time'

short by Satyaki Das / 06:00 pm on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

In a first, over 50% Mozilla Firefox browser users were served HTTPS encrypted data on Friday, according to the Let's Encrypt initiative's head. HTTPS is a protocol for secure communication over a computer network that encrypts web browsing data to resist hacker attacks while in transit. Notably, Firefox holds just 7.77% of the global browser market share, according to Statista.

short by Satyaki Das / 06:00 pm on 15 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Playing Pokémon Go may add 41 days to life: Study

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:53 pm on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

According to a new study by Stanford University and Microsoft researchers, playing Pokémon Go mobile game could add up to 41 days to the lives of the people aged between 15 to 49 years. Pokémon Go players walk an extra 1,473 steps a day, which is roughly 25% more activity performed than the non-players, the study claimed.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:53 pm on 15 Oct

read more at Hindustan Times

Custom Xbox controller for differently-abled gamers

short by Satyaki Das / 05:45 pm on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

Microsoft's Xbox Elite controller has customisation options that allow accessibility to help differently-abled gamers play. The $150 controller is customisable on a physical and software level, featuring removable analog sticks and extra buttons on the back of the handgrip. Typically, controllers designed for people with special needs cost more than $400, placing them out of reach for many people.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:45 pm on 15 Oct

read more at Engadget

New concept lets users control smartwatch with one hand

short by Vani Vivek / 04:56 pm on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

Researchers from Dartmouth College have created a smartwatch prototype called 'WristWhirl' that lets users gesture-control their watch with one hand. The proximity sensors on the watch monitor the user's hand so that tilting in a pattern can launch or switch apps. Users can turn the recognition software off by tapping their thumb and index finger together.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:56 pm on 15 Oct

read more at YouTube

Samsung apologises to Indian customers who pre-booked Note 7

short by Vani Vivek / 04:55 pm on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

The Indian arm of electronics major Samsung has issued a formal apology to customers who had pre-booked the now-discontinued Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. Samsung is offering a free Samsung Gear VR to customers who purchase its Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones instead. The company has also promised a one-time screen replacement within a year of purchase.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:55 pm on 15 Oct

read more at Samsung

Facebook's Oculus acquires low-power LED display maker

short by Satyaki Das / 04:30 pm on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

Facebook-owned virtual reality (VR) firm Oculus has acquired InfiniLED, an Irish startup that manufactures low-power LED displays. Founded in 2010, InfiniLED specialises in ILED (inorganic LED), which could replace OLED and plasma by offering greater power efficiency at a lower cost. Earlier, Oculus had acquired the company that designed Microsoft's Xbox 360 controller, among other acquisitions.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:30 pm on 15 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

Headed for record sales despite Note 7 debacle: Samsung

short by Vani Vivek / 04:24 pm on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

Electronics major Samsung has dismissed reports that it would lose ₹6,457 crore in revenues from the Indian market following the global recall of its Note 7 smartphone. "Samsung India is appalled by the incorrect reporting of company's financials...we can confirm that contrary to these reports, we are headed for record sales this year," said the company in a statement.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:24 pm on 15 Oct

read more at India Today

Yahoo scraps earnings call amid Verizon deal row

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:21 pm on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

Technology firm Yahoo on Friday said it will not hold an earnings call or webcast with analysts for its quarterly results due to its pending deal to be acquired by telecom firm Verizon. Verizon is reportedly looking to renegotiate the $4.83 billion deal or back out of it altogether, after Yahoo confirmed a data breach of around 50 crore accounts.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:21 pm on 15 Oct

read more at Google

Yahoo re-enables auto mail forwarding feature

short by Vani Vivek / 04:18 pm on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

Yahoo on Friday re-enabled its email forwarding feature which automatically redirects incoming emails to another account. Disabling the service was seen as an attempt to make it more difficult for Yahoo Mail users to transition to another email service. However, Yahoo clarified that it was part of a pre-planned maintenance to improve functionality.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:18 pm on 15 Oct

read more at Engadget

India-born Rajeev Misra to head SoftBank's $100 bn fund

short by Vani Vivek / 04:15 pm on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

Japan's SoftBank has appointed its India-born Head of Strategic Finance Rajeev Misra to lead the $100 billion technology investment fund that was announced on Friday. The 54-year-old has worked with Deutsche Bank and Swiss financial company UBS AG previously. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said that the 'SoftBank Vision Fund' will be the biggest investor in technology over the next decade.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:15 pm on 15 Oct

read more at YourStory

US tech company rejects claim of bias against Asians

short by Vani Vivek / 03:30 pm on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

Silicon Valley technology company Palantir has rejected claims made by the US Department of Labor that accused Palantir of discrimination against Asian job applicants. Palantir said that the government's analysis "hinges entirely on a flawed and illogical statistical analysis of data." The company argued that Asians are well represented in Palantir, with at least 25% of its workforce being Asian.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:30 pm on 15 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Spotify Co-founder steps down as Chairman after 10 yrs

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:55 pm on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

World’s largest music subscription service, Spotify's Co-founder Martin Lorentzon stepped down from his role as the Chairman of the company after 10 years on Friday. Lorentzon has now become the Vice Chairman of Spotify. The company's Co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek has additionally taken over the role of the Chairman.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:55 pm on 15 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Sony India launches 4K Android TV, starting ₹5 lakh

short by Satyaki Das / 02:52 pm on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

Sony on Saturday started taking pre-orders for its new Bravia Z9D series in India, with prices starting at ₹5.04 lakh. The new Z9D series will be equipped with 4K HDR, a new backlight technology and will run on Android TV Marshmallow with Sony's user interface. Other features include an upgraded voice search function to improve searching for channels.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:52 pm on 15 Oct

Salesforce won't buy Twitter, says company not a right fit

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:40 pm on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

American cloud computing company Salesforce's CEO Marc Benioff said on Friday that his company won't make a bid to buy Twitter because it was not the right fit. Following the announcement, Twitter shares fell as much as 8.5% to $16.28, while Salesforce shares rose by 6% to $74.91 per share. Salesforce was one of the last remaining bidders for Twitter.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:40 pm on 15 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Sony to develop PlayStation games for smartphones

short by Satyaki Das / 02:39 pm on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

Sony is reportedly developing smartphone games based on PlayStation titles, which will be released in the next 18 months. According to Japanese news site Nikkei, the games will be initially launched in the Asian market by March 2018. Earlier, the company had announced ForwardWorks, a division formed specifically to produce smartphone titles for iOS and Android platforms.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:39 pm on 15 Oct

read more at The Guardian

Indians earned highest for finding Facebook bugs

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:49 am on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

On the fifth anniversary of the Facebook Bug Bounty program, the company announced that India has received the highest payouts during the program from January-June 2016. India was followed by the United States and Mexico in receiving bug bounties. The social networking giant has paid over $5 million to more than 900 researchers in five years.

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:49 am on 15 Oct

read more at Facebook

ISRO plans to set up telescope on the moon

short by Trivedi Bhutnath / 10:16 am on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

ISRO chairman AS Kiran Kumar has said that the space agency is in talks with an international body regarding setting up of a telescope on the moon. The telescope can have a lot of advantages as there are no atmosphere or atmospheric effects associated with it, he further said, while speaking at an event in IIT Madras.

short by Trivedi Bhutnath / 10:16 am on 15 Oct

read more at The New Indian Express

Drones start delivering blood supplies in Rwanda

short by Yash Kumar / 08:00 am on 15 Oct 2016,Saturday

US-based robotics company Zipline on Friday launched drones to deliver blood to inaccessible clinics in the East African nation Rwanda. The drones have the capability to make a round trip of 150 km and are launched using catapults with the deliveries being made using a bio-degradable parachute. Notably, Rwanda uses around 6,50,000 units of blood per year.

short by Yash Kumar / 08:00 am on 15 Oct

read more at Reuters

GM's car-sharing firm starts operating in San Francisco

short by Satyaki Das / 09:11 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

General Motors-owned car-sharing platform Maven started operations on Friday in San Francisco. The service rents out GM vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt hybrid electric vehicle and the Cadillac Escalade SUV, with prices starting at $8 per hour. Cars can be booked and unlocked via an app, and have to be returned at the same spot.

short by Satyaki Das / 09:11 pm on 14 Oct

read more at Engadget

Google Photos update can auto-generate GIFs from pics

short by Satyaki Das / 09:08 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

Google's photo-saving cloud service Google Photos, has launched a new update which includes features to auto-rotate upside down photos and make GIFs automatically from videos. Another new feature will enable people to “rediscover old memories of the people in your most recent photos.” It will also show the recent highlights from a user's photos.

short by Satyaki Das / 09:08 pm on 14 Oct

Some Indians still await refunds on pre-ordered Note 7

short by Vani Vivek / 09:04 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

Some Indian consumers who had pre-ordered the now-recalled Samsung Galaxy Note 7 claim that they still haven't received their refunds. Samsung opened pre-orders for the smartphone in India in August but on the day of the launch, sent messages announcing that the phones delivery would be delayed. Consumers claim that Samsung still hasn't communicated with them about the matter.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:04 pm on 14 Oct

read more at Mashable

Facebook shuts down ads in Thailand to mourn King's death

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:02 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

Social media giant Facebook temporarily shuts down all the advertisements on its platform in Thailand, to mourn the death of the country's King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Thursday. This is the first time when Facebook has blocked advertisements across an entire country. Thailand has already entered a year-long period of mourning that will involve citizens and servants wearing black attire.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:02 pm on 14 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Airlines add 'fire containment' bags for exploding phones

short by Vani Vivek / 08:11 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

Three US airlines are fitting their planes with fire-containment bags capable of sealing up an overheating smartphone or laptop battery to prevent a disaster mid-air. The red-coloured bags typically sell for $1,800 (₹1,20,000) each and can withstand temperatures of up to 1,760° Celsius. This follows the Federal Aviation Administration recording 23 incidents of overheating batteries in 2016 so far.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:11 pm on 14 Oct

read more at The Guardian

Iron Man offers to give voice to Zuckerberg's AI assistant

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:01 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

Actor Robert Downey Jr, who plays Marvel superhero Iron Man, on Thursday offered Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to give voice to the company's artificial assistant 'Jarvis'. Downey said to Zuckerberg on Facebook, "I'll do in a heartbeat if Bettany gets paid and donates it to a cause of Cumberbatch's choosing...that's the right kind of STRANGE!"

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:01 pm on 14 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Windows phones are official devices of New York Police

short by Vani Vivek / 07:58 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

Officers from United States' largest police force, the New York Police Department (NYPD), use Lumia 830 and Lumia 640 XL devices as their official department-issued smartphones. The NYPD and Microsoft have collaborated on apps like a police records search and a case management system among others. The department is planning on updating to the Windows 10 operating system next year.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:58 pm on 14 Oct

read more at Engadget

Samsung to lose ₹6,457 cr in India on Note 7 dispute

short by Mansha Mahajan / 07:31 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

Technology major Samsung would lose ₹6,457 crore in revenues from the Indian market following the global recall and complete halt in production of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, CyberMedia Research said. Samsung, however, will continue to maintain leadership in the smartphone segment in India, it added. The device was to be made available in the Indian market from September.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 07:31 pm on 14 Oct

read more at The Financial Express

SoftBank, Saudi Arabia plan largest tech fund of $100 bn

short by Vani Vivek / 07:26 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

Japan's SoftBank has announced a technology investment fund of up to $100 billion with Saudi Arabia's sovereign Public Investment Fund. The 'SoftBank Vision Fund' will comprise $25 billion from SoftBank, up to $45 billion from Saudi Arabia and additional funds from other global investors over the next five years, to create the world's largest technology investment fund.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:26 pm on 14 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Internet shutdown cost India ₹6,000 crore in a year

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:11 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

Internet shutdown, caused due to six categories of disruptions, cost India's GDP ₹6,000 crore between July 2015 and June 2016, according to Brookings Institution, a non-profit public policy organisation. The internet disruptions included the shutdown of mobile internet in Rohtak for a week in February 2016, costing India's GDP $190 million. The phenomenon cost $2.4 billion in GDP globally.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:11 pm on 14 Oct

read more at Livemint

New BMW 5 series to be 1st car with wireless Apple CarPlay

short by Satyaki Das / 06:02 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

German automaker BMW's 2017 5 series will be the first vehicle to feature Apple's wireless CarPlay infotainment system. Drivers will no longer have to connect their iPhone via USB to replace the car’s central software with Apple’s version. This will allow the phone and its apps to be operated via the in-car screen via touch control or an iDrive Controller.

short by Satyaki Das / 06:02 pm on 14 Oct

read more at The Verge

Verizon may kill Yahoo deal over hack of 50 cr accounts

short by Vani Vivek / 05:53 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

Verizon on Thursday said it has "reasonable basis" to believe that the hack of 50 crore Yahoo email accounts could allow it to withdraw from its deal to buy the technology company. Verizon claimed it hadn't been informed of the breach at the time of the deal. The telco announced its acquisition of Yahoo for $4.8 billion in July 2016.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:53 pm on 14 Oct

read more at Reuters

Game engine startup fires almost all employees

short by Satyaki Das / 05:20 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

San Francisco-based game development platform MaxPlay has terminated almost all of its 70-member workforce. This comes after the company ran out of funds after a failed transaction aiming to push its MaxCore game engine to the market, according to CEO Sinjin Bain. He added that the company will now focus on licensing its technology to others.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:20 pm on 14 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

Instagram launches for Windows 10 PCs and tablets

short by Satyaki Das / 05:16 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

Facebook-owned photo sharing app Instagram has been launched for Windows 10 PCs and tablets. This will allow tablet and PC users to post and edit photos, get notifications from their home screen, chat via Instagram Direct, and use Instagram's Live Tile feature from their Windows 10 devices. The app is available for download via the Windows Store.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:16 pm on 14 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

Twitter announces Periscope Producer for professionals

short by Satyaki Das / 05:14 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

Twitter has announced a new feature on its live video-sharing platform Periscope, called Periscope Producer, aiming to enable brands and companies to share ‘professional, produced live video.’ Currently, Periscope only streams from consumer camera devices, most of which are smartphones. Twitter has reportedly partnered with brands like Disney, Louis Vuitton, and Sky News for the same.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:14 pm on 14 Oct

read more at The Next Web

VMWare's cloud service to run on Amazon Web Services

short by Satyaki Das / 05:11 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

Software company VMWare has announced a partnership with Amazon to bring VMware’s virtualisation software to Amazon Web Services (AWS) under the ‘VMware Cloud on AWS' moniker. Starting next year, all of VMware’s infrastructure software like vSphere, VSAN and NSX will run directly on AWS, without Amazon software in between. Early customers of the service include Western Digital and Sysco.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:11 pm on 14 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Asia accounts for 50% of total internet users

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:55 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

Internet penetration in the world has almost touched the 50% mark and Asia has the highest number of internet users, accounting for half of the world's total internet users, according to Internet World Stats data. Increase in smartphone usage, lower access costs, and growing population were attributed to the rise in internet users. India ranked 18 with 36.5% internet penetration.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:55 pm on 14 Oct

read more at Business Today

Samsung issues public apology for Note 7 debacle

short by Vani Vivek / 04:51 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

Samsung Mobile President Koh Dong-Jin on Thursday released a public apology to its users for the Galaxy Note 7 debacle. He pledged "to restore the trust of consumers so that they can use Samsung products without any safety concerns." The South Korean company has completely stopped production of its Note 7 smartphones and issued a global recall.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:51 pm on 14 Oct

read more at Business Today

New Tinder algorithm picks photos which get better response

short by Vani Vivek / 04:42 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

Dating app Tinder has implemented a new algorithm that claims to "maximise users' match potential" by alternating their profile photos. The algorithm will determine which photos get the most response, and reorder users' pictures accordingly. Tinder said that the test group using its 'Smart Photos' feature saw a 12% increase in matches.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:42 pm on 14 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Samsung Note 7 recall to cost company $5.3 billion

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:07 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

South Korean electronics major Samsung on Friday said the Galaxy Note 7 crisis will negatively impact its profit through March 2017 by $3 billion, on top of an already announced $2.3 billion cut. This comes after Samsung killed the Galaxy Note 7 due to exploding batteries. The company's shares slumped over 8%, wiping off $20 billion from its market value.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:07 pm on 14 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Playboy magazine debuts on iTunes, Google Play Store

short by Vani Vivek / 02:52 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

Playboy has launched digital versions of its nudity-free magazines on Apple and Google app stores in an effort to reach a broader audience. The in-app subscription of the monthly magazine costs $17.99 (₹1,200) a year, or $5.99 (₹400) per issue. The magazine was previously available on some digital newsstands but was restricted on the app stores due to nude content.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:52 pm on 14 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

Samsung might kill 'Note' brand completely: Report

short by Vani Vivek / 02:43 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

According to reports, electronics major Samsung might be planning to do away with the 'Note' branding altogether after completely stopping production of its Note 7 smartphone earlier this week. A survey by the company reportedly found that over 50% of South Korean users have a negative view of the 'Note' brand. Samsung had introduced the first Galaxy Note in 2011.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:43 pm on 14 Oct

HP Inc to cut around 4,000 jobs within 3 years

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 01:54 pm on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

The US-based IT firm HP Inc has said it will cut 3,000-4,000 jobs over the next three years as it faces continued challenges in the market for personal computers and printers. The cuts are in addition to 3,000 jobs that HP previously said it was trimming this fiscal year. The company has about 50,000 employees worldwide, said a spokesperson.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 01:54 pm on 14 Oct

read more at The Financial Express

Scientists create mid-air display of 'floating pixels'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:35 am on 14 Oct 2016,Friday

England-based researchers have created a levitating display of 'floating pixels', called JOLED, that can be controlled and manipulated using sound waves and electric force fields. In the display, each pixel can be rotated on the spot to show different colours and images. The technology may help create floating displays or bring computer game characters to life as physical objects.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:35 am on 14 Oct

read more at YouTube

'Ok Google, bad job of copy editing', tweets Paytm Founder

short by Vani Vivek / 10:25 pm on 13 Oct 2016,Thursday

Following Google Pixel's advertisement in Times of India newspaper depicting its Google Assistant giving out incorrect information, Paytm Founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma shared a picture of the ad with, "Ok Google, bad job of copy editing." A user tweeted, "Agency will now get bajaoed for this goof," while another said, "Robot let down by human!"

short by Vani Vivek / 10:25 pm on 13 Oct

read more at Tweet Collection

Google Assistant gives wrong info in Pixel ad in India

short by Vani Vivek / 10:20 pm on 13 Oct 2016,Thursday

Google's advertisement in Thursday's edition of Times of India showcasing the Google Assistant in its Pixel smartphone is facing flak for giving wrong information. Google Assistant is shown responding to a query about flights to London with the name of the wrong airport. However, on being asked the question in real life, the smart digital assistant gives the correct answer.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:20 pm on 13 Oct

read more at Mashable

Airtel launches 100 Mbps broadband service

short by Vani Vivek / 09:04 pm on 13 Oct 2016,Thursday

Bharti Airtel on Thursday launched its 'V-Fiber' technology in Chennai, offering broadband speeds of up to 100 Mbps. The service will roll out in 87 more cities in the coming weeks. Existing Airtel broadband customers will be able to upgrade to V-Fiber without extra monthly charges, while new fixed line customers will get a free trial for three months.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:04 pm on 13 Oct

Rights of children completely non-negotiable: HC

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 07:53 pm on 13 Oct 2016,Thursday

The Delhi High Court has said that children's rights are completely non-negotiable even if they are involved in a heinous crime. The observation came while the court expressed "pain" over the "ignorant" way in which a sessions court handled a juvenile's rights in a murder case. Acquitting the minor, the court suggested training trial court judges regarding juvenile laws.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 07:53 pm on 13 Oct

Google Pixel, Pixel XL go on sale in India starting ₹57,000

short by Vani Vivek / 07:29 pm on 13 Oct 2016,Thursday

Pre-orders for Google's latest smartphones Pixel and Pixel XL began in India on Thursday through online retailer Flipkart. The 5-inch Pixel is priced at ₹57,000 for 32 GB and ₹66,000 for 128 GB, while the 5.5-inch Pixel XL starts from ₹67,000. Apple recently launched its iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus smartphones starting at ₹60,000 in India.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:29 pm on 13 Oct

BlackBerry DTEK60 price leaked ahead of pre-order

short by Vani Vivek / 07:12 pm on 13 Oct 2016,Thursday

US-based online retailer B&H accidentally listed the BlackBerry's Android DTEK60 smartphone for pre-order with a price of $499.99. The phone, which has not officially been announced yet, was accidentally leaked on BlackBerry's own website last month and on a Canadian retailer's site last week. Leaked features of the phone include a 5.5-inch display, 32GB internal memory, and 4GB RAM.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:12 pm on 13 Oct

read more at The Financial Express

Samsung offers Note 7 owners $100 credit to exchange phones

short by Vani Vivek / 06:10 pm on 13 Oct 2016,Thursday

Technology firm Samsung has announced that it will offer its US customers $100 in credit for exchanging their Note 7 for any Samsung smartphone. Customers who exchange their Note 7 for a refund or smartphone from another brand will get a $25 bill credit from Samsung. The company has stopped production of Galaxy Note 7 and issued a global recall.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:10 pm on 13 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Security firm uses Hurricane Matthew pitch to sell software

short by Vani Vivek / 05:24 pm on 13 Oct 2016,Thursday

Cyber security firm FireEye has been accused of trying to sell its software to security analyst Jerry Gamblin by comparing Hurricane Matthew to cyber attacks. The email starts with, "I hope you are staying dry out there." Gamblin shared the email on Twitter captioned, "using a hurricane that killed over 1,000 people in a sales email is distasteful."

short by Vani Vivek / 05:24 pm on 13 Oct

read more at Twitter

Apple fires staff for stealing customers' private pics

short by Vani Vivek / 05:13 pm on 13 Oct 2016,Thursday

An Apple store in Australia fired four male employees for reportedly stealing pictures from customers' phones sent in for repair. The employees have also been accused of taking 'creepshots' of their female co-workers and rating the women's body parts out of 10 on a group chat. Apple confirmed the employees had been sacked for violation of its "business conduct policy".

short by Vani Vivek / 05:13 pm on 13 Oct

read more at Engadget

Samsung shares rise 1st time after Note 7 sales stopped

short by Mansha Mahajan / 05:02 pm on 13 Oct 2016,Thursday

Tech major Samsung Electronics' shares opened 1% higher on Thursday, rising for the first time after three straight days of falls following its decision to permanently end sales of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones. The company had completely stopped its sales of the smartphone after fires were also reported in replacements that were claimed to be "safe".

short by Mansha Mahajan / 05:02 pm on 13 Oct

read more at Reuters

Fake news stories still trending on Facebook: Report

short by Vani Vivek / 04:39 pm on 13 Oct 2016,Thursday

According to a report by The Washington Post, Facebook's 'trending topics' algorithm promoted five fake and three "grossly" inaccurate news stories between August 31 and September 22. One example cited by the Post includes a story by a website called 'Faking News' which claimed that Tim Cook said the iPhone 8 would have "Siri physically coming out of the phone."

short by Vani Vivek / 04:39 pm on 13 Oct

read more at Engadget

Investors sue Toshiba for $162 mn over accounting scandal

short by Vani Vivek / 04:26 pm on 13 Oct 2016,Thursday

A group of investors has sued Japanese firm Toshiba for $162.3 million over a $1.3 billion accounting scandal that was uncovered last year. The conglomerate has been sued by 15 different groups since it admitted to reporting inflated profits going back to 2008. The accounting errors were blamed on Toshiba's corporate culture in which employees could not question their superiors.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:26 pm on 13 Oct

read more at Reuters

OnePlus launches online accessories store in India

short by Vani Vivek / 04:10 pm on 13 Oct 2016,Thursday

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus has launched an online e-commerce store, to sell genuine OnePlus accessories to Indian users. The store is selling chargers, cables, tempered glass protectors and cases, but OnePlus phones continue to be sold through Amazon. The company has also opened several service centers in India recently, including one in Delhi on Thursday.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:10 pm on 13 Oct

Samsung to 'dispose of' Note 7 phones, won't refurbish them

short by Vani Vivek / 04:05 pm on 13 Oct 2016,Thursday

Samsung has confirmed that it will "safely dispose of" the recalled Galaxy Note 7 devices instead of repairing, refurbishing, or reselling them. Samsung had manufactured about 2.5 million Note 7 devices, all of which are being recalled over battery explosions. According to environmentally conscious organizations, recycling smartphones leads to wastage of rare elements used in their manufacturing.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:05 pm on 13 Oct

read more at The Verge

Firm sells robotic cleaner in shape of furry ball for $39

short by Vani Vivek / 03:59 pm on 13 Oct 2016,Thursday

A Japanese firm has created 'Mocoro', a robotic microfiber mop ball that rolls around collecting dust and pet hair. Priced at $39 on Amazon, the cleaner has a timer of 15 minutes but does not have any 'smart' sensors and wanders in any random direction. Mocoro can last for up to three hours on a single charge.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:59 pm on 13 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Amazon issues refunds for some Samsung Note 7 accessories

short by Vani Vivek / 03:31 pm on 13 Oct 2016,Thursday

E-commerce platform Amazon has reportedly started issuing refunds for some of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 accessories it had sold. The online retailer is also allowing refunds for products like phone cases and wireless charging docks that were purchased before the site's standard 30-day return window. Samsung has ended production of its Note 7 devices and issued a worldwide recall.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:31 pm on 13 Oct

read more at The Verge

Pune-based innovator gets international automation award

short by Ankur Vyas / 09:50 am on 13 Oct 2016,Thursday

Satish Pathak, a Pune-based innovator, has been awarded for 'Excellence in Technical Innovation' by the International Society of Automation. The innovation, called Digital Controlled Valve for Precise Liquid Dispensing by Gravity flow, is a step change technology in industrial valves, said Pathak. It solves the problem of non-flexibility and wastage and also increases efficiency, he claimed.

short by Ankur Vyas / 09:50 am on 13 Oct

Merger won’t lead to job losses in India: Dell-EMC

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:09 pm on 12 Oct 2016,Wednesday

The newly merged hardware and storage provider Dell-EMC said on Wednesday that it does not see any job cuts in India, asserting that the market opportunity in the country is promising. Post their $67 billion merger, the combined entity called Dell Technologies has confirmed to job losses worldwide but has not specified a number.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:09 pm on 12 Oct

read more at Livemint

LG presents 'three times faster' wireless charging pad

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:22 pm on 12 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Electronics company LG has announced the world's first-ever 15-watt quick charging pad, scheduled to be released later this month. The pad will charge devices up to three times faster than the current generation of 5 watt charging pads. According to the company, it will be able to charge a smartphone to 50% in just thirty minutes.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:22 pm on 12 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Man spends 11 hours trying to make tea with WiFi kettle

short by Vani Vivek / 08:17 pm on 12 Oct 2016,Wednesday

British data specialist Mark Rittman on Tuesday live-tweeted his 11-hour-long attempt at boiling water for tea using his WiFi-enabled kettle. "Boiling water in saucepan now," tweeted Rittman at around 9 AM, indicating that the base station of the kettle was unable to communicate with the kettle itself. When the kettle finally responded at night, Rittman tweeted, "My work is done."

short by Vani Vivek / 08:17 pm on 12 Oct

read more at The Guardian

Nike’s self-lacing shoes sold for ₹70 lakh

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:05 pm on 12 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Hong Kong auction house Dragon 8 has sold a pair of the iconic Nike Mags, self-lacing sneakers from the sci-fi adventure movie Back to the Future, for $104,000 (around ₹70 lakh) to an anonymous buyer. The company claims the transaction has made the Nike Mags the most expensive pair of sneakers ever sold at an auction.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:05 pm on 12 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Facebook COO shoots down rumours of role in Clinton govt

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:21 pm on 12 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Responding to question if she would join Hillary Clinton's administration, Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said, "I'm staying at Facebook." This comes amid rumours that Sandberg could be appointed Treasury Secretary if Clinton is elected US President. Notably, Sandberg got her start during Bill Clinton's administration when she served as chief of staff to then-Treasury Secretary.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:21 pm on 12 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Google Pixel listed on Flipkart ahead of pre-order

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:25 pm on 12 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Online retailer Flipkart has listed variants of Google Pixel smartphone on its website, before its scheduled pre-order in India from October 13. Pixel's 32GB black and silver colour variants, which have a 5-inch display and Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset, are listed at ₹57,000. Pixel XL, the bigger size variant with a 5.5-inch display, is priced at ₹67,000.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:25 pm on 12 Oct

read more at India Today

Video: Samsung Note 7 fire caught on security camera

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:52 pm on 12 Oct 2016,Wednesday

A security camera in Hawaii, USA caught a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 device catching smoke in the hands of the user. The user, interestingly, had just visited the Samsung website on her Galaxy Note 7 before the device caught smoke. The tech giant has issued a global recall of the device after even replacement units were found to be defective.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:52 pm on 12 Oct

read more at YouTube

Comcast hit with biggest cable fine ever in US

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:23 pm on 12 Oct 2016,Wednesday

American mass media conglomerate Comcast has been issued a $2.3 million (around ₹15 crore) fine, the 'largest civil penalty' ever issued to a cable operator, for billing customers for products they never ordered. The fine is for 'negative option billing,' in which customers are required to pay for an automatic service if they fail to specifically decline it in advance.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:23 pm on 12 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Samsung sending out fireproof boxes for Note 7 return

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:12 pm on 12 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Multinational electronics company Samsung is sending out return boxes, capable of withstanding extreme heat, to the customers who wish to return their Galaxy Note 7. The return kit includes three boxes and a static shielding bag, with the outermost box lined with ceramic fibre paper for handling extreme heat. The box is prohibited to be transported in an aircraft.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:12 pm on 12 Oct

read more at The Verge

HP updates Spectre x360 laptop with edge-to-edge screen

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:54 pm on 12 Oct 2016,Wednesday

American multinational HP has announced updates to its premium consumer laptop Spectre x360, which now has a narrower design due to its edge-to-edge display. HP claims a 25% improvement in efficiency of battery life with the latest model capable of lasting up to 15 hours between charges. The laptop can also recharge up to 90% of battery in 90 minutes.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:54 pm on 12 Oct

read more at The Verge

Baidu sets up $3 bn internet investment fund

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 03:27 pm on 12 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Chinese web services company Baidu said on Wednesday that it has established a 20 billion yuan ($3 billion) investment fund, Baidu Capital. Investments will focus on mid and late-stage deals in the internet sector, with individual funding amounts ranging from $50 million to $100 million, the company said. The fund will have two-three managing partners, Baidu added.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 03:27 pm on 12 Oct

read more at Reuters

Samsung needs to get a new phone ready: Investors

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 01:22 pm on 12 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Samsung needs to get a new phone ready in the aftermath of the scrapping of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones due to safety failures, the company's investors said on Wednesday. "There needs to be [an] explanation... for consumers to understand that problems won’t occur in the next models," said a fund manager at IBK Asset Management, which owns Samsung shares.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 01:22 pm on 12 Oct

read more at Hindustan Times

Why do smartphone batteries explode?

short by Twishy Shahi / 09:47 am on 12 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Lithium batteries, commonly used in smartphones, have two electrodes on opposite sides and lithium ions move from one electrode to another during charging. Both the electrodes should never touch and to prevent this from happening, battery makers insert separators in between. In case of Samsung Note 7, the separators were reportedly flawed and the two electrodes touched leading to explosion.

short by Twishy Shahi / 09:47 am on 12 Oct

read more at The Verge

France’s Navya raises $34M for its self-driving shuttle bus

short by Kabir Khan / 11:39 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Navya, a startup out of France that makes driverless shuttles, has raised $34 million in funding to build self-driving shuttle busses. The funding is coming from two strategic backers, public transportation provider Keolis and automotive parts group Valeo, along with Qatari investors Group8. Navya is not disclosing its valuation but one report from Funderbeam estimates it at $222 million.

short by Kabir Khan / 11:39 pm on 11 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

HTC Bolt with Android Nougat could launch this month

short by Kabir Khan / 11:08 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

HTC Bolt, reportedly codenamed Acadia, with Android Nougat could launch this month, as per reports. The phone is expected to have the HTC Sense 8 UI over the Android Nougat OS. There has been no information regarding the specs or the features of the device, but as per leaks HTC Bolt bears close resemblance to the HTC 10.

short by Kabir Khan / 11:08 pm on 11 Oct

Lava announces 2 new feature phones starting at ₹1,150

short by Kabir Khan / 11:04 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Lava has announced the launch of new Captain series, Captain N1 and Captain K1+, feature phones in India, priced at ₹1,150 and ₹1,250 respectively. The Captain series phones feature a 1.8-inch display, wireless FM for listening to music on the move, a rear VGA camera, with support for video recording and digital zoom.

short by Kabir Khan / 11:04 pm on 11 Oct

Xiaomi claims to sell 5 lakh phones in 3 days in India

short by Kabir Khan / 10:53 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has announced that the company has ‘sold more than half a million phones in less than 72 hours’. The company had announced sales across top online retail platforms during their festive sales, including Flipkart and Amazon. “This means close to 2 phones were sold per second during first three days of October,” said Xiaomi India head.

short by Kabir Khan / 10:53 pm on 11 Oct

Sony Xperia XZ now available on Amazon India at ₹49,990

short by Kabir Khan / 10:50 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Sony Xperia XZ, the latest flagship from Japanese smartphone maker, is now officially available on Amazon India at ₹49,990. Sony Xperia XZ features a 5.2-inch full HD display and is the only Android flagship yet to have Quad HD resolution game. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 820 processor and has 3GB RAM.

short by Kabir Khan / 10:50 pm on 11 Oct

Obama outlines vision for sending humans to Mars by 2030s

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:32 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

US President Barack Obama has outlined his vision for "sending humans to Mars by the 2030s and returning them safely to Earth." The President stressed the importance of close partnership with private space firms for the mission, saying, "Getting to Mars will require continued cooperation between government and private innovators, and we're already well on our way."

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:32 pm on 11 Oct

read more at Engadget

Netgear claims wireless camera lasts 6 months on 1 charge

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:29 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

American company Netgear has presented its wireless security camera, Arlo Pro, claiming that it can last six months between charges. The model comes with a speaker, which enables the camera to start recording any time it picks up noise. The device also acts as an intercom to let owners talk to the person in front of the camera.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:29 pm on 11 Oct

read more at The Verge

iOS 10 adoption rate at 54%, says Apple

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:17 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

The majority of iOS device owners are running the new mobile operating system iOS 10, as per Apple's official measurements for iOS 10 adoption. According to Apple's data, 54% are now on iOS 10, 38% remain on iOS 9, and 8% are running the older versions of the iOS mobile operating system.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:17 pm on 11 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Huawei partners with UC Berkeley for research on AI

short by Kabir Khan / 09:03 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Chinese multinational Huawei on Tuesday announced that it would form a research partnership with UC Berkeley focused on AI, and fund it to the initial tune of $1 million. Many other big companies like Google, Apple, Amazon and Facebook have partnered with universities to research and develop cutting-edge technologies in Artificial Intelligence.

short by Kabir Khan / 09:03 pm on 11 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Facebook starts testing ads in Groups

short by Kabir Khan / 08:05 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Facebook’s latest trick to earn more revenue without drowning the News Feed is to serve ads to the 1 billion users of its Groups feature. After people reported seeing notices that “We’re testing ads in Groups,” TechCrunch inquired and Facebook confirmed that mobile and desktop versions of Groups in Australia, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand are part of the trial.

short by Kabir Khan / 08:05 pm on 11 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Pre-orders go live for $199 Oculus Touch motion controllers

short by Kabir Khan / 07:54 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Oculus is now taking pre-orders for their Touch motion controllers that bring your hands and body into VR on their Rift headset. The company announced details regarding the controllers, including the $199 price and December 6 ship date, at their Oculus Connect developers conference last week. There are 35 new games also launching on December 6.

short by Kabir Khan / 07:54 pm on 11 Oct

read more at Reuters

Microsoft’s revamped Paint app lets user draw in 3D

short by Kabir Khan / 07:27 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

More than 30 years after its initial release in 1985, the Microsoft Paint app is getting a completely new look with an ability to draw in 3D. There’s no mention of a release date yet, but Microsoft will likely reveal more about the update at its special event in New York on October 26.

short by Kabir Khan / 07:27 pm on 11 Oct

read more at The Next Web

World Economic Forum to set up tech-focused hub in SF

short by Kabir Khan / 07:20 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

With the increasing role of technology in the global economy, the World Economic Forum is establishing a new center in San Francisco to connect tech companies and policymakers. The new facility will focus on bringing government officials and tech companies together to create frameworks for more productive legislative policies that can be implemented worldwide.

short by Kabir Khan / 07:20 pm on 11 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Samsung makes desktop PC that acts like a speaker

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:20 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Tech giant Samsung has launched a compact modular desktop PC called the ArtPC Pulse, which also works as a speaker. The device has a full metal body design with circular ambient lighting, and Omni-directional speaker unit built by Harmon Kardon. The Intel Core i5 processor configuration of the PC is available for $1,199 (around ₹80,000) for pre-order in the US.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:20 pm on 11 Oct

read more at The Verge

Facebook launches Workplace for companies

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:06 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Social networking giant Facebook has officially launched its private social networks for companies, called "Workplace". Facebook is also releasing "Multi-Company Groups" which allow employees from different organisations to work together without using their personal Facebook accounts . There is also a separate Work Chat app which enables employees to keep in touch while they're out of the office.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:06 pm on 11 Oct

read more at Engadget

Apple suspends developer account over 'review fraud'

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:02 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Apple has removed the application Dash from its App Store, telling the developer that his account was being suspended due to suspicion of review manipulation. The developer claims that he has never engaged in review fraud, giving his own app high ratings and leaving negative ones for competitors. He added that Apple's decision is final and can't be repealed.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:02 pm on 11 Oct

read more at Engadget

Yahoo disables automatic email forwarding to retain users

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:46 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Tech-giant Yahoo has disabled an email forwarding feature which allowed users to automatically redirect incoming emails sent to their Yahoo address to another account. The move is seen as an attempt to make it more difficult for Yahoo Mail users to transition to another email service. Notably, users who had already set up forwarding won't be affected by company's decision.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:46 pm on 11 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Tesla’s Autopilot a “hazard”: German report

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:38 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

A study by a Germany-based institute has reportedly found that the autopilot feature of Tesla Model S constitutes a "considerable traffic hazard." The study, however, was reported to be an internal one and did not represent final evaluation. Tesla CEO Musk responded by saying that reports were "not actually based on science," adding, "Autopilot is safer than manually driven cars."

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:38 pm on 11 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Here's all that happened in Samsung Galaxy Note 7 crisis

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:53 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

A report has detailed the major developments related to technology giant Samsung Electronics recall of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in chronological order. The timeline begins with the smartphone's launch on August 2 and ends at Samsung announcing a complete halt to its sale globally. Notably, Samsung made the announcement after replacements of the device also caught fire.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:53 pm on 11 Oct

read more at Reuters

Apple stock highest since December on Samsung Note 7 crisis

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:19 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Tech major Apple's stock on Monday surged 2.3% in intraday trade to touch its highest level since December after rival Samsung Electronics suspended sales of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones. Samsung's statement came following reports of fire in the replacements of the smartphone. The company had earlier announced a global recall of the smartphones over exploding batteries.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:19 pm on 11 Oct

read more at Reuters

Samsung shares fall most since 2008 financial crisis

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:17 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Shares of tech major Samsung Electronics on Tuesday saw their biggest one-day crash since the 2008 financial crisis. Samsung's shares plunged 8% after the company announced that it will stop global sales of its Galaxy Note 7 devices. Notably, the company has lost over $18 billion from its valuation since the announcement.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:17 pm on 11 Oct

read more at Google

Samsung completely stops sales of Galaxy Note 7 globally

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:23 pm on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Technology giant Samsung on Monday completely stopped its Galaxy Note 7 sales after fires were also reported in replacements that were claimed to be "safe". Further, Samsung asked consumers with Note 7 to turn off the power and seek a refund or exchange them for different phones. Samsung has lost $18 billion from its market cap following the announcement.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:23 pm on 11 Oct

read more at The Guardian

In pictures: 'World's first bionic Olympics' Cybathlon

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:00 am on 11 Oct 2016,Tuesday

The Cybathlon, dubbed as the world's first bionic Olympics, was held in Switzerland, featuring 66 teams of developers, technologists and competitors. The competitors used assistive technologies like robotic legs, bionic arms, powered exoskeletons and brain-controlled computer interfaces, to perform everyday tasks. Switzerland and Iceland were the best performers, winning three medals each.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:00 am on 11 Oct

read more at Photo Gallery

Musk responds to coal-mining CEO calling Tesla a fraud

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:59 pm on 10 Oct 2016,Monday

Responding to criticism of his company by the CEO of a coal mining corporation, Tesla's Elon Musk tweeted, "Real fraud going on is denial of climate science. As for "subsidies", Tesla gets pennies on dollar vs coal. How about we both go to zero?" The CEO had called Tesla a fraud for taking subsidies and failing to turn enough profits.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:59 pm on 10 Oct

read more at Twitter

GE makes oilfield drone that can detect gas leaks

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:10 pm on 10 Oct 2016,Monday

American multinational conglomerate General Electric has presented its new methane-sniffing helicopter drone called 'Raven', capable of detecting gas leaks from oil wells. GE created the Raven specifically to save oil and natural gas firms money and to help them assess all the data gathered from their facilities. According to the company, the drone can make gas inspections three times faster.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:10 pm on 10 Oct

read more at Engadget

UK bans Apple Watch in cabinet meetings over hacking fears

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:21 pm on 10 Oct 2016,Monday

The United Kingdom has reportedly banned its politicians from wearing Apple Watch to cabinet meetings over fears the device could be hacked by Russian spies. Smartphones were already prohibited in cabinet meetings in the UK over similar concerns. Notably, the US government officially blamed Russia last week for the hack on the Democratic National Committee.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:21 pm on 10 Oct

read more at The Verge

Xiaomi to offer phones at ₹1 during Diwali flash sale

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:29 pm on 10 Oct 2016,Monday

Xiaomi will have ₹1 flash sales on its three phones, Redmi 3S Prime, Redmi Note 3 (16GB) and Mi 4 from October 17-19. Xiaomi will have 30 of these devices up for sale for ₹1 at 2 pm every day. Xiaomi will also offer ₹1 flash sale on Mi Bluetooth speaker, 20,000 mAh Mi Power Bank and Mi Band 2.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:29 pm on 10 Oct

Woman uses oven gloves to handle burning Samsung Note 7

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:13 pm on 10 Oct 2016,Monday

An 11-second YouTube video shows a Burger King employee in South Korea using oven mittens to throw a burning Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone to the floor and then taking it away. This comes amid reports of the tech giant suspending the production of the device over issues of exploding batteries.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:13 pm on 10 Oct

read more at YouTube

Samsung says it's adjusting Note 7 supply on fire reports

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:25 pm on 10 Oct 2016,Monday

Tech giant Samsung has said that it is adjusting shipment volumes for Galaxy Note 7 smartphones due to reports of some of the devices catching fire. Samsung, in a statement, said the adjustments were being made in order to conduct in-depth inspections and to improve quality control. This comes amid reports suggesting Samsung had suspended the production of the device.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:25 pm on 10 Oct

read more at Reuters

Tesla to unveil new product on October 17

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:46 pm on 10 Oct 2016,Monday

Making an announcement about an upcoming 'unexpected' product, Tesla CEO and Founder Elon Musk tweeted, "Tesla product unveiling on the 17th (unexpected by most), followed by Tesla/SolarCity on the 28th." Musk previously teased the October 28 event, saying it would include the unveiling of joint products from both the electric car and the solar energy companies.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:46 pm on 10 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Facebook paid 1,000 times more in UK taxes in 2015

short by Mansha Mahajan / 06:22 pm on 10 Oct 2016,Monday

Social networking site Facebook paid $5.16 million in UK corporation tax in 2015, which is 1,000 times more than $5,367 paid in 2014. Notably, until this year, Facebook's transactions were booked in Ireland, minimising its UK tax bill, analysts said. The company said its UK arm generated a $13.6 million tax credit in 2015 due to its tax efficient structure.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 06:22 pm on 10 Oct

read more at The Verge

Tesla will not have to raise funds in 4th quarter: Musk

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:05 pm on 10 Oct 2016,Monday

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk on Sunday said the company would not need to raise equity or corporate debt in the fourth quarter for its planned acquisition of SolarCity. The statement contradicts a filing the company made with regulators earlier regarding raising funds. Asked whether the company would raise funds in 2017 first quarter, Musk tweeted, "Probably not then either."

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:05 pm on 10 Oct

read more at Reuters

Oracle threatens to end $9.3 bn NetSuite deal

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:05 pm on 10 Oct 2016,Monday

Technology firm Oracle has extended the deadline to buy cloud-computing major NetSuite till November 4, warning it would terminate the proposal if it didn’t get sufficient shares. Oracle has received only a quarter of the shares required to close the $9.3 billion deal. NetSuite’s shareholder T. Rowe Price's concern of Oracle getting undervalued is reportedly hindering the merger.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:05 pm on 10 Oct

read more at Google

Samsung temporarily halts Galaxy Note 7 production: Report

short by Mansha Mahajan / 02:34 pm on 10 Oct 2016,Monday

Tech major Samsung Electronics has temporarily halted production of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported on Monday. Samsung took the measure for consumer safety, following reports that replacements for the phone, which had been catching fire, were also overheating. Earlier, Samsung announced a global recall of Note 7 due to recurrent cases of exploding devices.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 02:34 pm on 10 Oct

read more at Livemint

Maingear builds Coca-Cola themed gaming PC

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:13 pm on 09 Oct 2016,Sunday

US-based computer manufacturer Maingear has built a Coca-Cola themed gaming PC with a real glass Coke bottle being used as a reservoir at the top. The two companies collaborated for marketing purposes and the device will not be available for sale. "Coke is a simple pleasure..and everyday gaming moments go better with a refreshing ice-cold Coke," said a Coca-Cola executive.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:13 pm on 09 Oct

read more at Twitter

eBay paid ₹9 crore tax in UK on ₹9,000 crore revenues

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:11 pm on 09 Oct 2016,Sunday

Online retailer eBay paid £1.1million (around ₹9 crore) in tax in the UK last year, despite telling US investors that Britain was its second largest market, generating revenues of £1.1billion (over ₹9000 crore). The company appears to have reduced its tax bill by using a corporate structure that routes advertising fees from British sellers through an overseas company.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:11 pm on 09 Oct

read more at The Guardian

Wojcicki shared which video convinced Google to buy YouTube

short by Vani Vivek / 08:06 pm on 09 Oct 2016,Sunday

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, while speaking at a 2015 Fortune summit, revealed which video convinced Google to acquire the video-sharing platform. Wojcicki said that a video of two Chinese boys lip-syncing a Backstreet Boys song, which currently has over 1 million views, made her realise that "people...don't need to be always in a studio to create something compelling".

short by Vani Vivek / 08:06 pm on 09 Oct

read more at YouTube

China considering ban on online games after midnight

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:14 pm on 09 Oct 2016,Sunday

Children in China could be banned from playing online games after midnight under a new rule designed to combat internet addiction. If the regulations go into effect, web game developers would have to block minors from playing online games from midnight to 8 am. The draft rules are open to public feedback until the end of the month.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:14 pm on 09 Oct

Yahoo tried to buy Google, YouTube and Facebook

short by Vani Vivek / 07:03 pm on 09 Oct 2016,Sunday

American technology company Yahoo has in the past made unsuccessful bids to acquire Google, YouTube, and Facebook. The company reportedly tried to buy Google and Facebook for $3 billion and $1 billion respectively. According to reports, Yahoo was interested in buying YouTube when Google announced its $1.65 billion acquisition of the video platform on October 9, 2006.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:03 pm on 09 Oct

read more at Google

Two more replacement Samsung Note 7 catch fire: Reports

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:25 pm on 09 Oct 2016,Sunday

Replacement units of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone have reportedly caused injuries to users due to overheating in two separate instances, after a similar incident occurred earlier this week on an airline flight. A 13-year-old in the US felt a burning sensation while holding her Note 7, while another mobile set caused acute bronchitis to a user due to smoke.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:25 pm on 09 Oct

YouTube had to update its view counter for 'Gangnam Style'

short by Vani Vivek / 06:22 pm on 09 Oct 2016,Sunday

Video-sharing platform YouTube had to update its video view counter after views on the 'Gangnam Style' music video by South Korean singer Psy exceeded the previous limit. In a 2014 post, YouTube said, "We never thought a video would be watched in numbers greater than a 32-bit integer (=2,147,483,647 views)." The updated limit allows over 9 quintillion views.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:22 pm on 09 Oct

read more at Google

Google waives 12-year-old's ₹75 lakh advertising bill

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:34 pm on 09 Oct 2016,Sunday

Google waived a €100,000 (around ₹75 lakh) advertising bill for a 12-year-old Spanish boy who had used Google AdWords to make his brass band famous online. The boy gave his banking details thinking he was actually going to earn money from ads on his homemade website. "It was all a mistake and he did it without thinking," the company said.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:34 pm on 09 Oct

read more at The Guardian

Sharp makes phone display with actual curved corners

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:22 pm on 09 Oct 2016,Sunday

Japanese electronics multinational Sharp has developed a phone display with actual curves at the corners, using the company's Free-Form Display technology. The 5.2-inch 1080p panel has been developed under the concept Corner R and the company's new technology enables the LCD panels to be cut into various shapes. The product, though, is not available to markets yet.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:22 pm on 09 Oct

read more at The Verge

LeEco accidentally leaks upcoming US product lineup

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:15 pm on 09 Oct 2016,Sunday

Chinese technology company LeEco accidentally leaked its upcoming product lineup in the US on its website, about ten days before its official release. The products include LeEco's mid-range Android smartphones, Le Max 2 and the Le S3, and four TVs. Interestingly, two TVs were shown with $14.99 (almost ₹1000) price tags, but that is expected to change.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:15 pm on 09 Oct

read more at The Verge

World's first long-distance call was placed 3.2 km away

short by Vani Vivek / 03:42 pm on 09 Oct 2016,Sunday

The first two-way long-distance phone call over outdoor wires was conducted between Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Watson on October 9, 1876. They talked to each other over a 3.2-kilometre wire stretched between Cambridge and Boston for three hours. The pair also conducted the world's first transcontinental telephone call thirty nine years later.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:42 pm on 09 Oct

read more at Google

Freshdesk, Zoho troll Salesforce at its own conference

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:30 pm on 08 Oct 2016,Saturday

Customer Relationship Management products Freshdesk and Zoho led ad-campaigns to troll rival Salesforce at its own CRM event, Dreamforce. Freshdesk launched campaign called 'Sorry we didn't launch earlier,' a satirical apology for users disappointed by Salesforce. Indian origin Zoho took to skies for its campaign with a plane in San Francisco writing out the phrases "#Outsmart Einstein. Zoho CRM."

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:30 pm on 08 Oct

read more at Google

Pornhub offers $50,000 reward for info on Kim's robbery

short by Mansha Mahajan / 08:43 pm on 08 Oct 2016,Saturday

Adult website Pornhub is offering a reward of $50,000 for information about the men who broke into reality TV star Kim Kardashian's hotel room in Paris. "Here at Pornhub we were deeply saddened to hear about the horrible incident," Vice President Corey Price said, adding, they want to ensure that the perpetrators of the "heinous crime are brought to justice".

short by Mansha Mahajan / 08:43 pm on 08 Oct

read more at Google

Smiling in a photo is bad: Tinder CEO on dating profiles

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:41 pm on 08 Oct 2016,Saturday

Responding to questions on how to build a better dating profile, Tinder CEO Sean Rad said, "Smiling in a photo is bad," adding "Wear bright colours to stand out." It was revealed that the 'claimed' job title of the most swiped men are pilot, entrepreneur, and firefighter, while the most swiped female professions are physical therapists and interior designers.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:41 pm on 08 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Google claims Pixel has the best smartphone camera ever

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:33 pm on 08 Oct 2016,Saturday

Tech giant Google has claimed that its latest smartphone Pixel has the "best smartphone camera" ever, with a DxOMark score of 89. The smartphone has a 12.3-megapixel rear camera and has the shortest capture time of any smartphone Google has ever tested. Notably, DxOMark is an industry standard for camera and lens image quality measurements and ratings.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:33 pm on 08 Oct

read more at Engadget

Netflix Co-founder owns Facebook shares worth over $10 mn

short by Vani Vivek / 08:03 pm on 08 Oct 2016,Saturday

Netflix Co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings, who turns 56 today, reportedly owns Facebook shares worth over $10 million as of September 2016. Hastings had bought shares worth $1 million in the company shortly after he joined as a board member in 2011. His current holding is estimated to be up from 47,846 shares in 2012 to 83,075 shares.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:03 pm on 08 Oct

read more at Google

Dating app Bumble bans mirror selfies as profile pics

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:56 pm on 08 Oct 2016,Saturday

Dating app Bumble has updated its rules on photo moderation to prohibit the users from posting a mirror selfie on their profile. Pictures in underwear, bikini or swimwear photos not taken at the beach and photos of children without adults are also banned. The online platform said that the new rules bring real-life etiquette to online dating.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:56 pm on 08 Oct

read more at Mashable

Smallest transistor is 50,000 times thinner than human hair

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:25 pm on 08 Oct 2016,Saturday

US Department of Energy has created the world's smallest transistor with a working one-nanometre gate, about 50,000 times thinner than human hair. The prototype was built with semiconductor materials called transition metal dichalcogenides, instead of silicon. Interestingly, the laws of physics had set a 5-nanometer limit on the size of transistor gates among conventional semiconductors.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:25 pm on 08 Oct

OPPO Diwali phones to have Sonam, Hrithik’s autographs

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:59 pm on 08 Oct 2016,Saturday

OPPO has launched a special edition OPPO F1s Diwali edition smartphone in India, featuring autographs of the company's brand ambassadors, Hrithik Roshan and Sonam Kapoor. The Diwali edition F1s will also include a specially designed theme around Diwali. The special edition phone will be available in gold colour and is priced at ₹17,990.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:59 pm on 08 Oct

Airtel offers iPhone 7 at down payment of ₹19,990

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:38 pm on 08 Oct 2016,Saturday

Telecom operator Airtel is offering iPhone 7 and 7 Plus on contract basis at a down payment of ₹19,990 and ₹30,792, respectively. The Airtel customers can opt for the 'iPhone for Life' plan by making the down payment and the remaining amount will be financed by Bajaj Finance. Airtel will provide unlimited calls, free roaming and data under the plan.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:38 pm on 08 Oct

read more at Google

World's highest phone call was made from Mt. Everest

short by Vani Vivek / 05:57 pm on 08 Oct 2016,Saturday

The world's highest land-based mobile phone call was made from an altitude of 8,848 metres on the summit of Mt. Everest, Nepal in 2007. British climber Rod Baber used a Moto Z8 to call a voicemail account set up by Motorola. The phone call lasted for 1 minute and 48 seconds and cost $4.72.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:57 pm on 08 Oct

read more at Guinness World Records

Bot engages ‘internet bigots' in Twitter fights

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:55 pm on 08 Oct 2016,Saturday

Twitter user Sarah Nyberg has created a software bot to engage "internet bigots" to fight by tweeting controversial statements. The bot is named Liz and tweets inflammatory statements from her handle @arguetron, in order to "bait internet bigots into fighting with it for hours." The software, however, denies being a bot when called out.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:55 pm on 08 Oct

read more at Google

Facebook launches dedicated 'Events' app

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:50 pm on 08 Oct 2016,Saturday

Social networking giant Facebook has launched a dedicated 'Events' app on iOS for browsing and searching for events going on nearby. The app can link with calendars from the smartphone to enable users to see their plans in one place. Facebook's core app will still offer its Events feature, so users will not be forced to switch like with Messenger.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:50 pm on 08 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Yahoo CEO accused of discrimination against male employees

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:01 pm on 08 Oct 2016,Saturday

A lawsuit filed by a former Yahoo employee has claimed that CEO Marissa Mayer implemented a job review process which was used to cut male employees from executive ranks and lay them off. The internet giant, however, said that the accusations had no merit and described the review process as 'fair'. Notably, the plaintiff was fired from Yahoo last year.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:01 pm on 08 Oct

read more at Google

Spending on mobile ads to touch ₹10k cr by '18: Report

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 01:42 pm on 08 Oct 2016,Saturday

Expenditure on mobile advertisements will touch ₹4,200 crore by the year-end, and is expected to grow to ₹10,000 crore by 2018-end, a report by Mobile Marketing Association and GroupM has stated. The report claimed mobile advertisements as the third-largest advertising medium after television and print. Spending on mobile phone ads is over half the estimated ad expenditure on digital media.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 01:42 pm on 08 Oct

read more at Livemint

Jio offers new iPhone users free service for 15 months

short by Mansha Mahajan / 01:21 pm on 08 Oct 2016,Saturday

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio will offer free voice calls, 20 GB data, and unlimited SMS for one year, worth ₹18,000, to all new iPhone users on its network. Users can avail this offer from January 1, 2017 after the ‘welcome plan’ expires on December 31, 2016. Apple launched its iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in India yesterday.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 01:21 pm on 08 Oct

read more at Livemint

Apple wins $120 mn appeal in patent case against Samsung

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 10:52 am on 08 Oct 2016,Saturday

A US appeals court on Friday reinstated a 2014 verdict which had ordered Samsung to pay $119.6 million to Apple for breaching patents. Apple’s lawsuit had contended that Samsung infringed upon patents for 'slide to unlock' and autocorrection features, among others. Samsung failed to prove that these features were “obvious” and thus not able to be patented, the court ruled.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 10:52 am on 08 Oct

read more at The Financial Express

Woman 'recreates' dead friend using artificial intelligence

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:23 pm on 07 Oct 2016,Friday

San Francisco-based entrepreneur Eugenia Kuyda created a software bot to resemble her friend who had died in an accident. Kuyda gathered up her friend's old text messages and fed them into a neural network built by developers at her artificial intelligence startup. The entrepreneur initially had doubts about the project, but followed on with it.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:23 pm on 07 Oct

read more at India Today

Glow-in-the-dark cycling path unveiled in Poland

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 08:13 pm on 07 Oct 2016,Friday

A glow-in-the-dark bicycle path has been unveiled in the Polish town of Olsztyn to prevent accidents. The luminous strip, created using a synthetic material, charges itself using solar energy. The idea behind the cycle path reportedly comes from Netherlands' Starry Night bike lane, which was inspired by the painting by Vincent van Gogh.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 08:13 pm on 07 Oct

Device to dry phones after being dropped in water made

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:58 pm on 07 Oct 2016,Friday

Technological product 'Redux' acts as a vacuum chamber to dry and revive the phones which were dropped in water. The device takes about half an hour to vaporise the moisture content in the phone and will revive the gadget from "even the most severe water damage". The machine can also be used for Apple watches, and other electronic wearables.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:58 pm on 07 Oct

read more at Mashable

iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus sales begin in India

short by Vani Vivek / 06:11 pm on 07 Oct 2016,Friday

Technology major Apple started sales of its iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus smartphones in India from 7 PM on Friday. The base variant of the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 is priced at ₹60,000, while the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus started at ₹72,000. Pre-bookings for Apple rival Google's Pixel smartphones, which cost ₹57,000, will start on October 13 in India.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:11 pm on 07 Oct

Apple shares rise on chip supplier's revenue growth

short by Mansha Mahajan / 05:31 pm on 07 Oct 2016,Friday

Shares of tech major Apple rose by 1% on Thursday after German chipmaker Dialog Semiconductor posted a higher than expected quarterly revenue. Apple accounted for about 80% of Dialog's revenue last year, making the supplier's results a potential indicator of iPhone sales. This is a confirming data point of stronger iPhone 7 demand, analysts said.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 05:31 pm on 07 Oct

read more at Reuters

Kodak accidentally releases pic of upcoming phone

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:14 pm on 07 Oct 2016,Friday

American multinational Kodak accidentally released a picture of its upcoming phone which is scheduled to be revealed on October 20. The picture shows the power button on the new Kodak phone, embedded in a machined groove and with a Kodak K stamped on it. While the company deleted the tweet, the image can still be found on the company's website.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:14 pm on 07 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Advertising site CEO arrested on sex trafficking charges

short by Mansha Mahajan / 05:02 pm on 07 Oct 2016,Friday

The Chief Executive Officer of advertising website Backpage, Carl Ferrer, was arrested on Thursday on criminal charges including pimping. Backpage, the second-largest online classified ad service after Craigslist in US, faced scrutiny from the US Senate as well as civil lawsuits over allegations that the site facilitates sex trafficking, especially of children.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 05:02 pm on 07 Oct

read more at Reuters

BitTorrent fires CEOs, shuts BitTorrent Now: Report

short by Vani Vivek / 04:31 pm on 07 Oct 2016,Friday

Torrent client provider BitTorrent has reportedly fired both of its co-CEOs and shut its media streaming service BitTorrent Now. The headquarters BitTorrent Now in Los Angeles is also said to have been closed. According to reports, BitTorrent CFO Dipak Joshi has stepped in as interim CEO to replace Jeremy Johnson and Robert Delamar, who were appointed in April this year.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:31 pm on 07 Oct

read more at Engadget

Verizon seeks $1bn discount after Yahoo hack: Report

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:13 pm on 07 Oct 2016,Friday

Telecom company Verizon is seeking a $1 billion discount off its $4.8 billion agreement to buy technology firm Yahoo, the New York Post reported. This comes after Yahoo earlier revealed that it suffered a data breach that affected around 50 crore users, and also amid allegations that the company scanned users’ emails at a US intelligence agency's request.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:13 pm on 07 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Facebook named 'Top Growing Brand' of 2016

short by Mansha Mahajan / 09:15 pm on 06 Oct 2016,Thursday

Social networking site Facebook has been named 2016's 'Top Growing Brand' by brand consultancy Interbrand, with a 48% year-on-year increase in its brand value to $32.59 billion (around ₹2.17 lakh crore). E-commerce major Amazon (33%) and toy company Lego (25%) were ranked second and third respectively. Notably, Facebook was also ranked 15 on Interbrand's 2016 list of 'Best Global Brands'.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 09:15 pm on 06 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Bezos' Blue Origin rocket clears in-flight escape test

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:37 pm on 06 Oct 2016,Thursday

Jeff Bezos' aerospace company Blue Origin successfully completed its rocket's in-flight escape system test. While the crew capsule was safely recovered during the test, the New Shepard rocket unexpectedly remained intact and returned to the Earth. Prior to the launch, Bezos had expected the rocket to be destroyed during the test. This marks the rocket's fifth successful return to Earth.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:37 pm on 06 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Apple recovered gold worth $40mn from broken iPhones in 2015

short by Mansha Mahajan / 07:22 pm on 06 Oct 2016,Thursday

Tech major Apple recovered 1,000 kg of gold, worth $40 million, from recycled iPhones, iPads, and Macs in 2015. Gold is used in consumer electronics because it is averse to corrosion and a good conductor of electricity. The company is boosting its recycling programmes, including the Apple Renew programme, which lets customers recycle their Apple devices at Apple Stores.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 07:22 pm on 06 Oct

read more at Google

FB apologises for baby hedgehogs, drugs sale ads on platform

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:00 pm on 06 Oct 2016,Thursday

Facebook on Wednesday apologised to users after several reports pointed out that items like baby hedgehogs, snakes, drugs and even guns were listed for sale on the company's 'Marketplace' section. Launched on Monday, the Marketplace section allows users to list and search for items on sale in their area. Citing technical issues, Facebook said it's looking into the matter.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:00 pm on 06 Oct

read more at Daily Mail

Samsung acquires startup founded by Apple's Siri creators

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:43 pm on 06 Oct 2016,Thursday

Samsung has acquired Viv, a startup founded by Apple's voice-based assistant Siri's creators Dag Kittlaus, Adam Cheyer and Chris Brigham, for an undisclosed amount. Founded in 2012, Viv is an artificial intelligence platform that enables developers to create a conversational interface to anything. "The deal showcases Samsung's commitment to virtual personal assistants," said Samsung.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:43 pm on 06 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

WikiLeaks threatens to release documents against Google

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:43 pm on 06 Oct 2016,Thursday

WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange has threatened to release a set of documents every week until November 7, which claim to expose US Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, the military, the oil industry, and Google. In his 2014 book 'When Google Met WikiLeaks', Assange accused ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt of having ties to the State Department when Clinton was Secretary of State.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:43 pm on 06 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Twitter shares drop 9% after report that Google won't bid

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:38 pm on 06 Oct 2016,Thursday

Twitter's shares dropped 9.21% to $22.58 on Wednesday after a report suggested that Google would not bid to acquire the micro-blogging site. The report added that Apple isn't likely to put a bid for acquiring Twitter either. Twitter is reportedly looking for potential buyers and wants to conclude buyout negotiations by the time it reports third-quarter earnings on 27 October.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:38 pm on 06 Oct

read more at Livemint

LG trolls Samsung over exploding phones

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:00 pm on 06 Oct 2016,Thursday

In the wake of several reports of Galaxy Note 7 explosions, South Korean electronics maker Samsung is being trolled by its rival LG, which is sending a text message to its users mocking the company. Samsung officially announced a worldwide recall of the smartphone on September 2. However, reports have emerged claiming explosions even in the replaced handsets.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:00 pm on 06 Oct

read more at Google

Plane evacuated in US after Samsung Note 7 emits smoke

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:00 pm on 06 Oct 2016,Thursday

A Southwest Airlines plane in US, which was ready to take off, was evacuated after a passenger's replaced Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone started emitting smoke on Wednesday. The phone started heating up in the passenger's back pocket, after which he threw it on the floor where it started emitting smoke. None of the 75 passengers and crew were injured.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:00 pm on 06 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Apple named most valuable global brand of 2016

short by Mansha Mahajan / 02:23 pm on 06 Oct 2016,Thursday

Tech major Apple has topped the 'Best Global Brands 2016' list prepared by leading brand consultancy Interbrand, with a 5% year-on-year rise in its brand value to $178 billion. Tech giant Google and beverage corporation Coca-Cola followed at the second and third ranks respectively. Further, social networking giant Facebook and e-commerce major Amazon emerged as the top growing brands.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 02:23 pm on 06 Oct

read more at The Guardian

Communication satellite GSAT-18 launched successfully

short by Ankur Vyas / 01:29 pm on 06 Oct 2016,Thursday

India's latest communication satellite GSAT-18 was successfully launched on Thursday by the heavy duty Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou in French Guiana. The launch was deferred by 24 hours owing to bad weather conditions. ISRO's GSAT-18 will add to India's fleet of 14 operational telecommunication satellites and is the 20th Indian satellite launched by the European Space Agency (ESA).

short by Ankur Vyas / 01:29 pm on 06 Oct

Norway's PM found playing Pokémon Go in Parliament

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:20 pm on 06 Oct 2016,Thursday

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg was on Tuesday found playing Pokémon Go during a debate in the Parliament. Earlier in August, Solberg was seen playing the game in her free time during an official trip to Slovakia. In a similar instance, the leader of Norway's Liberal Party, Trine Skei Grande was found playing the game in Parliament in August.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:20 pm on 06 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Tim Cook remembers Steve Jobs on his death anniversary

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:29 pm on 05 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Apple CEO Tim Cook remembered the company's Co-founder Steve Jobs on his fifth death anniversary on Wednesday. Battling with pancreatic cancer since 2004, Jobs passed away on October 5, 2011. Earlier this year, Cook in an interview had said, "To me, Steve's not replaceable — by anyone...He was an original of a species".

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:29 pm on 05 Oct

read more at Twitter

Boeing CEO claims to send people to Mars before Elon Musk

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:27 pm on 05 Oct 2016,Wednesday

World's largest aerospace company Boeing's CEO Dennis Muilenburg on Tuesday unveiled a plan for commercial space flights and claimed to send people to Mars before SpaceX's Elon Musk. “I’m convinced the first person to step foot on Mars will arrive there riding a Boeing rocket,” said Muilenburg. He said Boeing is planning to make a supersonic aircraft for the purpose.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:27 pm on 05 Oct

read more at Livemint

Mark Zuckerberg hosts dinner for top Facebook interns

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:59 pm on 05 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Facebook Co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently hosted a dinner at his home for the top engineering interns at the company. "It was great hearing their ideas and I know they will all go on to do important work in the future," said Zuckerberg in a Facebook post. Zuckerberg hosts dinner at his home for Facebook's top interns every year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:59 pm on 05 Oct

read more at Facebook

Candle that smells like newly-unboxed Mac made

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:40 pm on 05 Oct 2016,Wednesday

A company that makes accessories for Apple computers, Twelve South has made a candle named 'New Mac' which smells like a newly-unboxed Mac. The soy wax candle, which lasts for 45-55 hours, reportedly uses hints of mint, peach, basil, lavender, mandarin and sage to create the unique smell. The candle is being sold at $24 per piece.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:40 pm on 05 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Ten-minute video sums up Google's first phone launch

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:44 pm on 05 Oct 2016,Wednesday

A 10-minute YouTube video sums up Google's 117-minute presentation held in San Francisco on Tuesday, where it unveiled 'Pixel', the first phone made entirely by the company. Starting with CEO Sundar Pichai's address, it features unveiling of DayDream VR headset, Wifi router and Home speaker. Google's Senior VP for hardware wrapped up the presentation saying, "This is only the beginning".

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:44 pm on 05 Oct

read more at YouTube

GoDaddy launches social networking app for entrepreneurs

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:40 pm on 05 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Internet domain name enterprise GoDaddy has launched a social networking app for entrepreneurs named 'Flare'. The app allows entrepreneurs to share their business ideas and get feedback, advice and insights from other entrepreneurs available on the app. The app includes features like a top chart that displays 20 most popular ideas within a user’s community on a given day.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:40 pm on 05 Oct

read more at Inc42

App seeks to empower differently-abled rural women

short by Rini Sinha / 05:55 pm on 05 Oct 2016,Wednesday

'Azadi ki Udaan', a mobile app seeks to address questions of differently-abled women in rural areas. Jointly developed by SMRC and Inflexi Technology, the app provides information on domestic violence, government schemes, and rights of women with disabilities. Currently active in four states, the app is also linked to an interactive voice recording system to address women's queries.

short by Rini Sinha / 05:55 pm on 05 Oct

read more at The Better India

GSAT-18 launch delayed due to bad weather

short by Ankur Vyas / 05:13 pm on 05 Oct 2016,Wednesday

The lift-off of the Ariane 5 rocket with Indian satellite GSAT-18 has been delayed by 24 hours due to unfavourable weather conditions, Arianespace has said. According to the French company, the launch will now take place on October 6 from Kourou in French Guiana. GSAT-18 is India's latest communication satellite with 48 transponders for receiving and transmitting communication signals.

short by Ankur Vyas / 05:13 pm on 05 Oct

read more at The New Indian Express

Touchscreen landline phone for offices developed

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:34 pm on 05 Oct 2016,Wednesday

US-based company ESI has developed 'ePhone7', a landline phone with a 7-inch touchscreen, meant to be used at business desks. The touchscreen allows users to access contacts, teleconference, record visual voicemails and watch them later. It also displays corporate directories, call history and supports syncing contacts from both the Android and iOS smartphones.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:34 pm on 05 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Yahoo secretly scanned emails for US govt: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:19 pm on 05 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Search engine major Yahoo secretly built a software program in 2015 to search all of its customers' incoming emails for specific information provided by the US intelligence, the company's former employees have claimed. They further claim that Yahoo's CEO Marissa Mayer's decision to obey the order made some senior executives leave the company in June 2015.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:19 pm on 05 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Google trolls Apple's iPhone 7 in Pixel phone ad

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:44 pm on 05 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Google, which unveiled its Pixel smartphone on Tuesday, has trolled rival Apple's latest smartphone iPhone 7 in its advertisement for the handset. While showing the features of the Pixel phone, the advertisement read, "3.5mm jack satisfyingly not new" followed by an "ahem ahem" voice. Notably, the newly-launched iPhone 7 does not have a headphone jack.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:44 pm on 05 Oct

read more at YouTube

Google Pixel smartphone starts from ₹57,000 in India

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:21 pm on 05 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Google's first ever smartphone made entirely by the technology major, 'Pixel' smartphone will be launched in India at a starting price of ₹57,000. Pixel will be available in India in two sizes – 5-inch or 5.5-inch – with storage options of 32 GB and 128 GB. The pre-orders for the smartphone will begin in India from October 13.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:21 pm on 05 Oct

read more at Engadget

Steve Jobs' last words were 'Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow'

short by Vani Vivek / 11:46 am on 05 Oct 2016,Wednesday

In a tribute to the legend Steve Jobs, his sister Mona Simpson revealed that the final words of the Apple Co-founder were "Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow". Titled, 'A Sister's Eulogy for Steve Jobs', Simpson's essay also divulged how Jobs sketched devices on a notepad to keep himself busy when he was hospitalised.

short by Vani Vivek / 11:46 am on 05 Oct

read more at The Guardian

World's highest energy density EV battery unveiled

short by Satyaki Das / 05:44 am on 05 Oct 2016,Wednesday

California-based electric vehicle (EV) company Faraday Future, in collaboration with LG Chemical, has unveiled what it claims to be the 'world's highest energy density' EV battery. Elon Musk's Tesla and Panasonic currently have the highest energy density batteries, at 60 kWh and larger. Earlier, the company had revealed plans for a $1 billion EV factory in Nevada.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:44 am on 05 Oct

read more at Engadget

Nike opens online raffle for its self-lacing shoes

short by Rini Kapoor / 12:14 am on 05 Oct 2016,Wednesday

Sportswear giant Nike has opened an online raffle for people to win a pair of its limited-edition self-lacing 'Nike Mags', by purchasing $10 tickets. The donations will be forwarded to 'The Michael J. Fox Foundation' which is dedicated towards developing a cure for Parkinson's disease. The online raffle for the 89 shoe pairs is open till October 11.

short by Rini Kapoor / 12:14 am on 05 Oct

read more at Engadget

Google announces 'Chromecast Ultra' 4K streaming device

short by Satyaki Das / 11:58 pm on 04 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Google on Tuesday announced Chromecast Ultra, a 4K version of its widely-popular media streaming device. The device, which will launch in the US in November at $69, will be able to stream 4K content from YouTube and Netflix when launched. Google said the new device is 1.8 times faster than its predecessor, and also includes ethernet support through a dongle.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:58 pm on 04 Oct

read more at Engadget

Take my other kidney also, tweets user

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:55 pm on 04 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Reacting to Google's unveiling of Pixel smartphone starting at $649, a user tweeted, "Yeah, take my other kidney also". Another user tweeted, "What? A phone with a headphone jack? I'm sold". A user also tweeted, "Ok Google, Gift me a #Pixel". "Xiaomi is now so confused which one to copy? Google #Pixel or Apple iPhone?" tweeted another user.

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:55 pm on 04 Oct

read more at Tweet Collection

MasterCard launches 'selfie pay' app in Europe

short by Satyaki Das / 11:39 pm on 04 Oct 2016,Tuesday

US financial services company MasterCard has rolled out 'Identity Check', an app that uses facial biometrics for payment authentication, in Europe. The app will be made available to MasterCard users globally in early 2017, according to a report. The app supports both selfies and fingerprint biometrics, offering users a choice of authenticating a mobile payment at the point of purchase.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:39 pm on 04 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Google unveils Wifi router starting at $129

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:35 pm on 04 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Google on Tuesday unveiled its first in-house Wifi router named 'Google Wifi' starting at $129. The multi-point WiFi router aims to deliver wall-to-wall internet coverage and claims to keep the signal strong throughout the house. The router can be controlled through a dedicated app, which allows pausing the Wifi and offer various parental controls.

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:35 pm on 04 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Google unveils Daydream View VR headset at $79

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:03 pm on 04 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Google on Tuesday unveiled Daydream View, the first headset made for its Android-powered Daydream virtual reality (VR) platform, priced at $79. The headset will come in three colour variants and features a fabric exterior and a clickable touchpad. It will work with the recently-launched Pixel smartphones and any Daydream-ready phone. The device and the Daydream platform will launch in November.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:03 pm on 04 Oct

read more at The Verge

Google unveils Pixel smartphone starting at $649

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:29 pm on 04 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Technology major Google on Tuesday unveiled 'Pixel', the first ever smartphone made entirely by the company, starting at $649. The aluminium and glass bodied handset comes in two sizes with 5-inch and 5.5-inch displays, offering 32 GB and 128 GB storage options, and 4 GB RAM. The pre-orders for the smartphone will begin in India from October 13.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:29 pm on 04 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Google hires Amazon exec to develop its new phones

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:29 pm on 04 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Google has hired David Foster, one of the key personnel at Amazon's hardware division, to head the development of the company's Pixel smartphones. Foster, who worked with Amazon for five years, has been appointed as Google's Vice President of Product Engineering. Prior to working with Amazon, Foster had also worked with Microsoft and technology leader Apple.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:29 pm on 04 Oct

read more at Engadget

App was created to have people shatter iPhones

short by Mansha Mahajan / 08:19 pm on 04 Oct 2016,Tuesday

The smartphone app 'Send Me to Heaven', where the goal is to throw your phone as high as possible and then catch it, was created to have people shatter iPhones, its creator Petr Svarovsky had said. The idea was to get people with "very expensive gadgets" to throw these, he added. The app is now banned from the App Store.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 08:19 pm on 04 Oct

read more at Google

Motorola launches modular phones in India at ₹24,999

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:14 pm on 04 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Lenovo-owned smartphone maker Motorola on Tuesday launched modular phones Moto Z Play and Moto Z in India, priced at ₹24,999 and ₹39,999 respectively. The handsets were launched with 'MotoMods' or various modules that add a speaker, a zoom camera, a projector or an extra battery to the smartphones. The smartphones will be available on Amazon and Flipkart from October 17.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:14 pm on 04 Oct

We’re building a driver: Google on self-driving cars

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:40 pm on 04 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Google's self-driving car project's technology head Dmitri Dolgov in a recent interview said, "Driving is a social activity...we’re building a driver". Dolgov added that a self-driving car should not only be able to detect and recognise humans and other objects, it should also be able to understand their behaviour. He said that Google cars can detect and understand hand signals.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:40 pm on 04 Oct

read more at Recode

App allows pairing over 50 Bluetooth speakers at once

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:58 pm on 04 Oct 2016,Tuesday

US-based wireless Bluetooth speaker maker Ultimate Ears has launched an update for its speakers' app to introduce a 'PartyUp' feature, that allows the users to pair more than 50 speakers at one time. The app also allows adjusting the volume of individual speakers. The company claims that it successfully paired more than 140 speakers at once in a testing environment.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:58 pm on 04 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Siri was initially meant for Android phones

short by Sumedha Sehra / 04:58 pm on 04 Oct 2016,Tuesday

In 2009, the startup that made the personal assistant Siri, had signed a deal with communication technology company Verizon, to make Siri a default application on all Android smartphones. The company also reportedly created commercials touting the tool as an Android add-on. However, Apple bought Siri in 2010, ending its association with Android and making it exclusive to iOS products.

short by Sumedha Sehra / 04:58 pm on 04 Oct

read more at Google

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella received ₹117 cr pay in 2016

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:10 pm on 04 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Software major Microsoft's Indian-origin CEO Satya Nadella's reported compensation fell 3.3% to roughly ₹117 crore in the company's latest fiscal year ended June 30. While Nadella received about ₹37 crore in salary and bonus, he received ₹80 crore in stock award. Nadella had received stocks valued at ₹392 crore when he took over as Microsoft's CEO in February 2014.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:10 pm on 04 Oct

read more at Livemint

Microsoft kills its fitness wearable 'Band'

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:20 pm on 04 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Software major Microsoft has killed its fitness wearable named 'Band'. While the 'Band 2' has been completely removed from the company's online store, the wearable is available through Amazon's remaining inventory. The team responsible for making the Band was recently dissolved by Microsoft and the company has confirmed that no Band 3 will be launched this year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:20 pm on 04 Oct

read more at The Financial Express

Augmented reality, not VR, is the future: Tim Cook

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:35 pm on 04 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Technology giant Apple's CEO Tim Cook in a recent interview said, "Augmented reality I think is going to become really big...Virtual reality, I think, is not gonna be that big, compared to AR in future". Cook added, "AR's gonna take a little while, because there’s some really hard technology challenges. But it will happen. It'll happen in a big way".

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:35 pm on 04 Oct

read more at Mashable

WhatsApp allows doodles on photos and videos

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:37 pm on 04 Oct 2016,Tuesday

Messaging service WhatsApp on Monday launched new camera features allowing users to doodle or add emojis to their photos and videos. Users will also be able to add text to the media in different colours and font style. WhatsApp now also supports front camera flash. Launched currently on the Android app, the features will be available on iOS soon.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:37 pm on 04 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Startup makes wearable sensor for footballers

short by Satyaki Das / 11:44 pm on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

California-based sports wearables startup Zepp has announced a sensor that lets footballers track their performance on the pitch. It wirelessly pairs with a smartphone, fits inside a leg sleeve and tracks statistics such as distance covered, number of ball kicks, and running, sprinting or walking time in a game. The sensor and leg sleeve package has been priced at $100.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:44 pm on 03 Oct

read more at Engadget

Telegram launches in-chat gaming platform

short by Satyaki Das / 11:23 pm on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

Berlin-based messaging app Telegram has launched a chatbot-powered gaming platform, with 30 games. The new feature lets users play games inside the chat window with chatbots, with integrated graphics and sound, according to the company's blog. The update, which is live for Android, does not take up any additional disk space on the user end, the company added.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:23 pm on 03 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Wearable microscope that can see through skin made

short by Rini Kapoor / 11:20 pm on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

UCLA researchers along with Alphabet's Verily division have developed a wearable microscope that can detect and monitor fluorescent biomarkers inside the skin. The glow-in-the-dark biomarkers are a vital tool for cancer detection and monitoring drug delivery. The device can be worn around the biceps and work by capturing fluorescent images obtained by hitting an angled laser at the skin.

short by Rini Kapoor / 11:20 pm on 03 Oct

read more at Engadget

Hybrid drone flies as both plane and helicopter

short by Satyaki Das / 10:15 pm on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

Netherlands' largest technological university, TU Delft has developed a hybrid drone that can fly as a fixed-wing biplane as well as a helicopter with vertical flight. The one-propeller 'DelftAcopter' has a top speed of 100 kmph, and is fully autonomous, with the ability to pick safe landing spots. It will be used to deliver medical supplies to hard-to-reach areas.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:15 pm on 03 Oct

read more at Engadget

Have you seen Google's iPhone? tweets user

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:58 pm on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

Reacting to Google's yet to be launched Pixel smartphone's photos and specifications being leaked online, a user tweeted, "Have you seen Google's iPhone?" Another user tweeted, "So @Google just made an iPhone and decided to call it #Pixel". A user also tweeted, "It’s not a clone!! See any frontal button?? #Pixel #clonewars".

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:58 pm on 03 Oct

read more at Tweet Collection

Site tracks GitHub events to generate ambient music

short by Satyaki Das / 08:27 pm on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

Mumbai-based software developer Sudhanshu Mishra has created 'GitHub Audio', a website that tracks events across code-sharing platform GitHub and plays different sounds for every such event. The site plays music each time someone commits new code to any repository, or opens or closes an issue. It presents a visualisation of the events in real-time, allowing users to explore current projects.

short by Satyaki Das / 08:27 pm on 03 Oct

read more at Website

Solar road tiles put on public test for first time

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:43 pm on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

Solar road tiles were put on a public test for the first time by US-based renewable energy startup Solar Roadways on Sunday. Fitted with multi-coloured lights, the 30 tiles generate enough power for the fountain and restrooms in a public square. The startup is also live streaming the tiles on its website.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:43 pm on 03 Oct

read more at Engadget

Facebook allows buying, selling items with nearby users

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:28 pm on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

Facebook on Monday rolled out a new 'Marketplace' feature that lets users buy and sell items, including electronics and apparel, with the nearby users. Product's name, description, price and seller's location is required before it's listed for sale. Available under a 'shop' icon on the bottom of the app, it has currently launched in US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:28 pm on 03 Oct

read more at Facebook

New York restaurateur gives Apple Watch to all employees

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:32 pm on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

Danny Meyer, the Founder of a New York-based hospitality group, has equipped all the employees across the group's restaurants with Apple Watch. Connected to a dedicated app, the watch will allow managers to keep a track on how long a table is occupied. The app will also maintain a profile of each guest's past orders and allergies.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:32 pm on 03 Oct

read more at The Guardian

Facebook launches less data consuming Messenger app

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:38 pm on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

Facebook on Monday started rolling out a less data consuming Android version of its Messenger app called 'Messenger Lite'. The app allows users to send text messages, photos and links, but doesn't support video or voice calls, or making payments. Currently launched in Kenya, Tunisia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Venezuela, it will launch in more countries in the coming months.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:38 pm on 03 Oct

read more at Facebook

Tesla posts 70% rise in deliveries in Sept quarter

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:13 pm on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

US-based Tesla Motors on Sunday reported that its deliveries rose 70% over the previous quarter to 24,500 electric cars in the quarter ended September, amid production improvements and reports of discounts on some vehicles. Further, production rose to 25,185 vehicles during the period under review. The improved deliveries bring Tesla closer to meeting its second-half target of 50,000 vehicles.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:13 pm on 03 Oct

read more at Reuters

Toyota unveils palm-sized robot baby for childless women

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:49 pm on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

Japanese automotive manufacturer Toyota on Monday unveiled a $400 palm-sized robot baby called 'Kirobo Mini', which aims to give company to childless women in the country. The 10 cm-long robot blinks its eyes and speaks with a baby-like high-pitched voice. It comes with a cradle that doubles as a baby seat designed to fit in a car's cup holder.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:49 pm on 03 Oct

read more at Reuters

Facebook disables Indian's account over a cat photo

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:03 pm on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

Facebook recently disabled the account of an Indian blogger after he shared a funny photo of a cat wearing suit, with a friend on Messenger. After sending the photo, the Messenger app asked the blogger to re-enter his credentials and logged him out of all the devices. Facebook later reinstated the blogger's account and apologised for the incident.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:03 pm on 03 Oct

read more at Mashable

Google's new Pixel smartphones leaked online

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:51 pm on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

Google's yet to be unveiled Pixel smartphones were reportedly leaked online due to an error by UK-based phone retailer Carphone Warehouse. The leak reveals that while Pixel will come with 5-inch screen, Pixel XL will have a 5.5-inch display. Both the phones will have USB-C port for quick charging to provide 7 hours of battery after 15 minutes of charging.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:51 pm on 03 Oct

read more at Engadget

US no longer controls internet's 'domain name system'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:51 pm on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

The US government's contract with the ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) to control the IP address space allocations has officially expired. ICANN, which was founded in 1998, is now a fully "multi-stakeholder" non-profit organisation that will control the web's naming system. The process has been underway since 1998 and was part of a move to internet privatization.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:51 pm on 03 Oct

read more at Engadget

Startup raises $1.3 mn to make smart shower

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:51 pm on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

Dutch startup Hamwells has raised $1.3 million funding to create a smart shower that recycles each water drop seven times. While the shower can be fixed on a wall, the reservoir that collects and recycles the water can be submerged into the floor. Connected to an app, the shower lets users stream music and records the quantity of water saved.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:51 pm on 03 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

UK university makes Pokémon Go a part of degree

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:51 pm on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

UK's Salford University has made the mobile game Pokémon Go as a part of its Business Information Technology degree course. Students pursuing the course will be required to play the mobile game. A university lecturer said that Pokémon Go would make the course more accessible and easier to grasp for the students.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:51 pm on 03 Oct

read more at The Next Web

China unveils its first hanging monorail network

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:33 am on 03 Oct 2016,Monday

China recently completed a test run of its first suspended electric monorail network in the Chengdu city, over a 300-meter line. The project's chief designer said the lithium battery-powered train has a top speed of 60 kmph and load capacity of 120 passengers per coach. He estimated the project's cost to be one-fifth to one-eighth of that of underground rail.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:33 am on 03 Oct

read more at YouTube

Inhaler that makes lungs pollution-resistant made

short by Satyaki Das / 11:40 pm on 02 Oct 2016,Sunday

German scientists have developed an inhaler which they claim can make lungs resistant to air pollution. The inhaler is based on ectoine, a naturally-occurring organic compound commonly found in bacteria in the Egyptian desert. Ectoine reportedly creates a stabilising protection layer on the lung cells' surface, reducing inflammation and preventing further damage.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:40 pm on 02 Oct

read more at YouTube

US to build ₹665cr drone base to fight Boko Haram

short by Satyaki Das / 08:41 pm on 02 Oct 2016,Sunday

The US has announced a ₹665 crore investment to build a drone base in Africa's Niger, to fight militant group Boko Haram. The base will also reportedly serve as a central surveillance hub to combat more roaming groups linked to Al-Qaeda. Information gathered by these drones will be shared with local US allies including Nigeria, Chad and Mali.

short by Satyaki Das / 08:41 pm on 02 Oct

read more at Engadget

The 1st computer was designed for WWII

short by Rahul Raj / 08:10 pm on 02 Oct 2016,Sunday

The world's first computer, ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), was designed during the World War II in the United States, to compute artillery range tables, aiming to make targeting by weapons easier. However, the computer was completed only in 1946, the year after the end of the war. It occupied over 1800 square-feet of space and weighed 30 tons.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:10 pm on 02 Oct

read more at YourStory

Drone learns to see with one camera in zero gravity

short by Satyaki Das / 08:00 pm on 02 Oct 2016,Sunday

A drone aboard the International Space Station (ISS) has taught itself how to navigate in microgravity using just one camera. To achieve this, the SPHERE drone first flew around the station, learning distances between objects using two cameras, and then applied a custom learning algorithm. Notably, machine learning is rarely used in space applications due to high risk of failure.

short by Satyaki Das / 08:00 pm on 02 Oct

read more at Engadget

iOS app worth $999.99 had no feature

short by Sumedha Sehra / 07:44 pm on 02 Oct 2016,Sunday

An iOS app, 'I Am Rich' was launched in 2008, with the only purpose of showing that the buyer could afford it. Sold for $999.99, the highest price for which an app can be distributed on the App Store, it showed a glowing red gem with the text "I am rich, I deserv it, I am good, healthy & successful".

short by Sumedha Sehra / 07:44 pm on 02 Oct

read more at Google

Man creates $65,000 flat-pack home

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:37 pm on 02 Oct 2016,Sunday

Sydney-based architect Alex Symes has created a $65,000 one-bedroom home that comes packed in a flat package. With the help of a drill, a hammer and a wrench, two persons can build the home within a few days. It comes with bed, running water and a plumbed bathroom. Fitted with solar panels, the home creates more energy than it uses.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:37 pm on 02 Oct

read more at Daily Mail

Google releases image datasets for machine learning

short by Satyaki Das / 06:56 pm on 02 Oct 2016,Sunday

Google has released two large datasets, one containing images and the other YouTube videos, for the machine learning community. While 'Open Images' contains around nine million 'tagged' images, 'YouTube-8M' contains eight million video URLs. The datasets can be useful to researchers and app developers for 'training' their algorithms using personal-level computing power.

short by Satyaki Das / 06:56 pm on 02 Oct

read more at Engadget

Amazon's game streaming site launches virtual currency

short by Satyaki Das / 06:42 pm on 02 Oct 2016,Sunday

Game streaming site Twitch, owned by Amazon Game Studios, will start offering its own virtual currency called 'Stream+'. The service will be a loyalty points system where users perform tasks to earn points that can be used to purchase in-game services. Amazon's upcoming multiplayer battle mobile game 'Breakaway' will be the first to use the virtual currency.

short by Satyaki Das / 06:42 pm on 02 Oct

read more at The Verge

Xiaomi announces its first offline exclusive phone in India

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:18 pm on 02 Oct 2016,Sunday

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi's Redmi 3S+ has become the company's first smartphone that would not be sold online in India. Priced at ₹9,499, the smartphone will be manufactured under company’s Make In India initiative and will be available across large format retailers. The handset comes with a 5-inch display, 13 MP rear camera, 2 GB RAM and 32 GB storage.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:18 pm on 02 Oct

NY library gets $2.6 mn 'book train' delivery system

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:59 pm on 02 Oct 2016,Sunday

The New York's public library has installed a $2.6 million delivery system or 'book train', which delivers books within five minutes once a request is placed. It consists of 24 cars that run on 950 feet-long track to bring books from a storage facility located two floors down. Earlier, it took the library 45 minutes to deliver a book.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:59 pm on 02 Oct

read more at YouTube

Volvo's new system for e-buses detects pedestrians

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:20 pm on 02 Oct 2016,Sunday

Swedish automaker Volvo has developed a new system for its electric buses that will automatically detect pedestrians and cyclists on the road, and alert the driver about the same. It constantly monitors the bus surroundings and emits a gentle warning sound to signify that a vehicle is approaching. On detecting a clear collision risk, the system issues a loud warning.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:20 pm on 02 Oct

read more at YouTube

Startup makes 'iPal' robot nanny for kids

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:41 pm on 02 Oct 2016,Sunday

Chinese startup AvatarMind has created a three-foot robot nanny named 'iPal' to look after the kids aged between 3-8 years. The robot's autonomous learning engine helps it to remember the kids' preferences and interests in order to improve the conversation. It constantly takes photos and videos of the kids, which can be accessed by the parents on their smartphones.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:41 pm on 02 Oct

read more at Mashable

Startup makes iPhone 7 case to reintroduce audio jack

short by Satyaki Das / 12:21 am on 02 Oct 2016,Sunday

Texas-based startup Actual Innovation has crowdfunded the Fuze, an iPhone 7 case that contains a lightning port-to-3.5mm audio jack converter. The case, also available for the 7 Plus, comes with battery backup, and scratch and shock protection features. Priced at $69, the Fuze case is up for preorder and is expected to be available this December.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:21 am on 02 Oct

read more at Engadget

Startup makes portable jet-engine for water sports

short by Satyaki Das / 11:33 pm on 01 Oct 2016,Saturday

Austrian startup Scubajet has created a portable jet-engine for water sports equipment. The device consists of a battery-powered propeller and a mounting system that can be attached to a paddle board, canoe, diving or snorkeling gear. The system, which claims a top speed of 16 kmph, weighs about 3 kg and has a battery life of up to 8 hours.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:33 pm on 01 Oct

read more at YouTube

First wearable body water level monitor made

short by Satyaki Das / 10:06 pm on 01 Oct 2016,Saturday

US-based wearable technology firm BSX Athletics has developed what it claims to be the first wearable gadget that monitors body hydration level in real-time. Named 'LVL', the wristband monitor also tracks sleep, heart rate, activity and mood, and displays the data on an OLED touchscreen. The product has been launched on Kickstarter and is expected to be priced at $199.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:06 pm on 01 Oct

read more at YouTube

Mobile app tracks calories by clicking photo of food

short by Satyaki Das / 08:21 pm on 01 Oct 2016,Saturday

Boston-based food-tracking app 'Lose It' has launched a new feature called 'Snap It', that lets users track their calorie intake by clicking a picture of their food. The feature, which is still in the testing phase, uses a neural network algorithm that improves over time and currently has a claimed accuracy of up to 97.1%.

short by Satyaki Das / 08:21 pm on 01 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

iPhone 7 owners report issues with device's Bluetooth

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:04 pm on 01 Oct 2016,Saturday

Responding to an online poll, iPhone 7 owners have listed Bluetooth connectivity issues as the biggest problem with their new device so far. Most of the problems are around the phone's inability to connect to in-car entertainment systems. The problem reportedly is not limited to the iPhone 7 as other Apple phones running iOS 10 have also reported the issue.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:04 pm on 01 Oct

read more at The Next Web

Sony releases PlayStation VR unboxing video

short by Satyaki Das / 07:40 pm on 01 Oct 2016,Saturday

Sony has released an unboxing video showcasing its upcoming PlayStation Virtual Reality (VR) gaming system. The core bundle box, priced at $400, includes a VR headset, processing unit, headphones and demo disc. However, the system also requires a PlayStation camera and Move controller, that are not included in the box. PlayStation VR will launch on October 13.

short by Satyaki Das / 07:40 pm on 01 Oct

read more at YouTube

Google Maps will show users' next Calendar appointment

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:03 pm on 01 Oct 2016,Saturday

Following the rebranding of Google's productivity apps as G Suite, Google Maps and Calendar on Android will combine to give a quick visual reference for where users' various appointments will take place. The users need to be signed into both apps with the same account and put the event's address in the "where" box when creating a Calendar entry.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:03 pm on 01 Oct

read more at Engadget

HTC launches VR app store 'Viveport' globally

short by Satyaki Das / 06:41 pm on 01 Oct 2016,Saturday

Taiwan-based consumer electronics firm HTC has launched its own VR app store, 'Viveport'. Besides featuring games, which constitute the majority of VR content, 'Viveport' will also have categories in art, creativity, education, museum, and 360-degree videos, among others, HTC said. The company will host a 48-hour promotional sale during which select titles will be available for $1.

short by Satyaki Das / 06:41 pm on 01 Oct

read more at VentureBeat

Yahoo open sources porn-detecting algorithm

short by Satyaki Das / 06:09 pm on 01 Oct 2016,Saturday

Yahoo has made its adult content-detecting algorithm open to developers. The algorithm uses a 'convolutional neural network' based on sample pornographic images to take an image as input and provide a score between 0 and 1 indicating the image's 'Not Suitable for Work (NSFW)' rating. This can be used to rank and filter pornographic images on search results.

short by Satyaki Das / 06:09 pm on 01 Oct

read more at TechCrunch

Google's first Indian data centre to open in Mumbai

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:48 pm on 01 Oct 2016,Saturday

Search engine giant Google has announced to set up its first Indian data centre in Mumbai by 2017. The centre will help to make the Google Cloud Platform services faster for Indian customers. While Google's rival Microsoft has already set up data centres at three locations in India, Amazon in June opened its first Indian data centre in Mumbai.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:48 pm on 01 Oct

read more at Livemint

Apple loses $302.4 mn FaceTime patent retrial

short by Vani Vivek / 05:47 pm on 01 Oct 2016,Saturday

A US court on Friday ordered Apple to pay $302.4 million to US-based VirnetX for infringing two patents related to its internet security technology. In the case that originally began in 2010, Apple was found to have used the patented technology for its FaceTime video-conferencing feature. The technology giant will face another trial over whether it wilfully infringed the patents.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:47 pm on 01 Oct

read more at Bloomberg

Amitabh Bachchan tweets about his Samsung Note 7

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:45 pm on 01 Oct 2016,Saturday

Actor Amitabh Bachchan on Friday took to Twitter to complain about his Samsung Note 7's battery charge being restricted to only 60%. Addressing to Bachchan's complaint, Samsung tweeted, "Dear Mr Bachchan, the new Galaxy Note7 will be with you shortly." Samsung had restricted the charging of Note 7 smartphones to 60% after reports of explosions due to battery overheating.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:45 pm on 01 Oct

read more at Twitter

Google rebrands its business apps as 'G Suite'

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:54 pm on 30 Sep 2016,Friday

Google has announced that it will rebrand its ten-year-old service Google Apps for Work to 'G Suite'. It also announced upgrades in G Suite's existing product lineup, which includes Drive, Docs, Spreadsheets, Slides, Calendar, Hangouts, and more. Highlighting the growing use of Machine Learning, Google claims the name better reflects the mission of helping people work and innovate together.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:54 pm on 30 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Man smashes iPhones at Apple Store in France

short by Vani Vivek / 08:13 pm on 30 Sep 2016,Friday

At least 10 iPhones were destroyed in an Apple Store in France on Thursday, after a man started smashing the devices with a metal ball. According to reports, he shouted, "Apple is a company that violated European consumers' rights...I told them, 'Give me my money back'. They said no." The man has reportedly been arrested and an investigation is underway.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:13 pm on 30 Sep

read more at YouTube

I feel 50 pounds lighter without Twitter: Andreessen

short by Vani Vivek / 08:12 pm on 30 Sep 2016,Friday

Venture capitalist and Facebook board member Marc Andreessen has said that he feels "50 pounds lighter" and "free as a bird" after announcing a break from Twitter. On being asked how his Twitter followers were taking his silence, he said, "I think they'll get by." Andreessen, known for coining the term 'Tweetstorm', deleted his old tweets abruptly earlier this week.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:12 pm on 30 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

OnePlus 3 soft gold variant launched at ₹27,999

short by Vani Vivek / 07:06 pm on 30 Sep 2016,Friday

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus on Friday launched the soft gold variant of its latest offering, OnePlus 3 at ₹27,999 in India. The sandstone finish graphite variant of the phone, which was launched in June this year, also sells for the same price. The device has a 5.5-inch display, 6 GB RAM, 64 GB internal storage and 16-megapixel rear camera.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:06 pm on 30 Sep

read more at India Today

₹10 crore offered for hacking Apple's iOS 10

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:03 pm on 30 Sep 2016,Friday

Security firm Zerodium is offering a $1.5 million (nearly ₹9.9 crore) bounty to anyone who can provide a working zero-day hack for iOS 10. To claim the award, the participants need to submit a previously undocumented security flaw that enables remote jailbreaking of Apple's mobile platform. The security firm had earlier announced a $1 million bounty for iOS 9.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:03 pm on 30 Sep

read more at The Next Web

India lifts ban on Samsung Note 7 in flights

short by Vani Vivek / 06:26 pm on 30 Sep 2016,Friday

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has lifted restrictions on in-flight use of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices purchased after September 15, 2016. “Customers can identify the new Galaxy Note 7 with the ‘green battery icon’. Devices displaying this visual icon are safe to charge and use during the flight,” Samsung issued a statement quoting the DGCA.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:26 pm on 30 Sep

read more at Hindustan Times

China accuses Samsung of discrimination over Note 7 recall

short by Vani Vivek / 06:20 pm on 30 Sep 2016,Friday

A Chinese state broadcaster has accused electronics company Samsung of "discrimination" and "arrogance" against Chinese consumers over the recall of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. The broadcaster noted that Samsung issued an apology to US consumers with replacement options and compensation, whereas in China, the company only issued a brief statement saying most phones didn't need to be replaced.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:20 pm on 30 Sep

read more at Reuters

HP apologises for update blocking third-party ink

short by Vani Vivek / 05:11 pm on 30 Sep 2016,Friday

Technology firm HP has apologised to its customers for not explaining a software update which made its printers unusable with third-party ink cartridges. HP cited quality and security reasons for the change which displayed "damaged cartridge" when cartridges by other companies were used. The company has said it will offer an option to remove the security update.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:11 pm on 30 Sep

read more at Engadget

Salesforce tries to block Microsoft's $26bn LinkedIn buyout

short by Vani Vivek / 05:07 pm on 30 Sep 2016,Friday

Cloud computing company Salesforce has argued that Microsoft's $26.2 billion acquisition of LinkedIn would give it an unfair competitive advantage and called on regulators in US and European Union to probe and block the deal. "By gaining ownership of LinkedIn's dataset... Microsoft will be able to deny competitors access to that data," said the company's Chief Legal Officer.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:07 pm on 30 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

Android Wear watches incompatible with iPhone 7: Reports

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:04 pm on 30 Sep 2016,Friday

Many Android Wear smartwatches, including Moto 360, Fossil Q, and Tag Heuer Connected, are reportedly incompatible with Apple's latest phones iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The Android devices are recognised by the iPhone when they are nearby, but the watches hang at the pairing stage of the Android Wear setup process.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:04 pm on 30 Sep

read more at The Verge

Trump claims Google suppresses negative Clinton searches

short by Vani Vivek / 03:35 pm on 30 Sep 2016,Friday

Donald Trump on Thursday claimed that a "Google poll" showed he won the first US Presidential debate over Hillary Clinton despite Google's search engine "suppressing the bad news about" the Democratic nominee. Google had issued a clarification stating that it "does not favour any candidate or cause", after similar claims had been made in June this year.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:35 pm on 30 Sep

read more at Engadget

Apple showcases 'iMessage Effects' in new ad

short by Vani Vivek / 03:18 pm on 30 Sep 2016,Friday

Technology giant Apple has released a new ad showcasing the 'iMessage Effects' feature of its latest software update, iOS 10. The feature adds an option to send messages with effects like having the message inflate, appear in a shower of balloons, or be hidden by invisible ink. The ad shows a bunch of balloons accompanying a 'happy birthday' message.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:18 pm on 30 Sep

read more at YouTube

OPPO overtakes Apple by sales value in India

short by Twishy Shahi / 09:44 am on 30 Sep 2016,Friday

Chinese electronics manufacturer OPPO Mobiles has overtaken Apple for the first time in India in market share by sales value in August 2016, as per research firm GFK data. OPPO had a market share of 8% in August, while Apple had 6.3%. With this, OPPO has become the number two player in the Indian smartphone market following Samsung.

short by Twishy Shahi / 09:44 am on 30 Sep

read more at The Verge

iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus pre-orders begin in India

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:58 pm on 29 Sep 2016,Thursday

The pre-orders for Apple's latest smartphones iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will begin from September 30 in India. The iOS 10-powered, splash-resistant smartphones will be exclusively available for pre-ordering on e-commerce platform Flipkart. While the base variant for iPhone 7 costs ₹60,000, the iPhone 7 Plus starts from ₹72,000 in the country.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:58 pm on 29 Sep

read more at India Today

CERN is the birthplace of the World Wide Web

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:16 pm on 29 Sep 2016,Thursday

British scientist Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web (WWW) in 1989 at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN. The web was originally developed to meet the demand for automatic information-sharing between scientists in universities and institutes around the world. CERN, which was founded on September 29, 1954, probes the fundamental structure of the universe.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:16 pm on 29 Sep

read more at The Verge

Activity tracker for kids sets rewards for completing tasks

short by Vani Vivek / 06:49 pm on 29 Sep 2016,Thursday

American technology firm Garmin on Thursday launched its 'Vivofit jr' fitness tracker for children aged four to nine, priced at $80. A connected smartphone app allows parents to track and monitor their children's activity and set rewards for every task they complete. The tracker also shows a fun fact on the completion of the daily 60-minute play goals.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:49 pm on 29 Sep

read more at YouTube

Man creates turbine to harness typhoon's energy

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:15 pm on 29 Sep 2016,Thursday

Japanese engineer Atsushi Shimizu has created a new type of wind turbine that can harness energy from typhoons. The turbine with adjustable speeds and vertical blades, can withstand typhoons or hurricanes, and turn their destructive power into usable energy. According to Shimizu, the energy from a single typhoon can power Japan for 50 years.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:15 pm on 29 Sep

read more at Engadget

Virgin Group staff shuts email for two hours a week

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:02 pm on 29 Sep 2016,Thursday

Richard Branson-led Virgin Group has asked its employees in the UK and US to shut down their emails for two hours a week, in a bid to improve their creativity. Running since June, the policy encourages employees to take part in brainstorming sessions, walking meetings and running clubs. Employees can also hold one-on-one meetings with their bosses during the break.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:02 pm on 29 Sep

read more at Mashable

Apple logs iMessage contact info, location: Report

short by Vani Vivek / 04:51 pm on 29 Sep 2016,Thursday

Technology giant Apple keeps logs of the phone numbers users chat with through its messaging app iMessage, according to an investigative report. Apple also reportedly records the date and time the contact request was made along with the IP addresses of its users. If presented with a court order, Apple can share this information with law enforcement.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:51 pm on 29 Sep

read more at Engadget

Exploding Samsung washing machines reported in US

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:02 pm on 29 Sep 2016,Thursday

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has warned the owners of certain Samsung washing machines made between March 2011 and April 2016, due to concerns over exploding units. A Texas woman has claimed that her washer exploded and penetrated the interior wall of her garage. This comes amid Samsung's efforts to replace Note 7 smartphones worldwide over exploding batteries.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:02 pm on 29 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

In pics: Facebook's six football fields-sized data center

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:22 pm on 29 Sep 2016,Thursday

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday shared photos of the company's six football fields-sized 'Luleå' data center in the northern Sweden. As the temperature in the area is mostly below 50 degrees, the center uses large fans to pull in the outside air to naturally cool the warm servers. It claims to use 40% less power than traditional data centers.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:22 pm on 29 Sep

read more at Photo Gallery

WhatsApp to share data with FB despite Delhi HC order

short by Vani Vivek / 03:14 pm on 29 Sep 2016,Thursday

WhatsApp has said it will share information with its parent company Facebook as planned, despite a directive by Delhi High Court ordering it to delete data it had collected from users who deleted the app before September 25. "The ruling has no impact on the planned policy and terms of service updates," said a WhatsApp spokesperson in a statement.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:14 pm on 29 Sep

read more at Engadget

'RIP Brad Pitt' news on Facebook used for hacking

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:41 pm on 29 Sep 2016,Thursday

Following Angelina Jolie's filing for divorce, a fake news link titled 'RIP Brad Pitt', made to look like it has been published by Fox News, is being shared on Facebook. Created by a hacker, the link when clicked, asks users their Facebook credentials to access their personal information. "This malware is known to come from malicious browser extensions," said Facebook.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:41 pm on 29 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Swiss watchmaker unveils race car-inspired $82k watch

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:45 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Swiss watchmaker MB&F has unveiled the 'Horological Machine 8', a luxury wristwatch that the company says is inspired by "Can-Am race cars". It features a display that uses prisms to project the numerals on the "front" of the HM8. Powered by a 22-carat-gold winding rotor at the "back", the $82,000 watch is available in red and white gold colour options.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:45 pm on 28 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

#BlackBerry the end on an era, tweets user

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:00 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Reacting to BlackBerry's announcement to stop making smartphones and focus on software, a user tweeted, "#Blackberry the end on an era." Another user tweeted, "I honestly didn't know #BlackBerry was still making smartphones." A user also tweeted, "Let us see where your software goes." "Really sad. My Blackberry was the best phone I ever owned," tweeted a user.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:00 pm on 28 Sep

read more at Tweet Collection

Germany bans WhatsApp from sharing data with FB

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:29 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Germany has banned WhatsApp from sharing data with owner Facebook, while Facebook has been ordered to delete all the data that has already been shared. German watchdog has said that the data-sharing deal wasn't done with the agreement of the users of the companies. WhatsApp started sharing user data with Facebook last month to help it with advertising.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:29 pm on 28 Sep

read more at Google

BlackBerry to stop making smartphones

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:22 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry on Wednesday announced that the company will stop making its own phones and will outsource the hardware from partners. "We are focusing on software development, including security and applications," said BlackBerry's CEO John Chen. BlackBerry has posted a loss of $372 million in the latest quarter against $51 million profit registered a year ago.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:22 pm on 28 Sep

read more at Engadget

'Pepe the frog' meme declared a hate symbol

short by Nihal Thondepu / 07:49 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Pepe the Frog, a green frog with red lips known better as "sad frog meme", has been labelled an "online hate symbol" by the Anti-Defamation League. This comes after Hillary Clinton's campaign pointed to Pepe as the common factor linking Donald Trump and the white supremacist movement. Pepe was originally created by cartoonist Matt Furie in 2005.

short by Nihal Thondepu / 07:49 pm on 28 Sep

read more at The Guardian

Nissan makes self-driving chair to allow sitting in queues

short by Vani Vivek / 07:24 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan has unveiled 'ProPILOT Chair', a self-driving chair which uses the technology developed for its autonomous cars. The self-propelling chair detects surrounding chairs and follows the chair ahead of it, maintaining a fixed distance and travelling along a set path. The chair has been made available to Japanese restaurants on rent to let waiting guests sit.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:24 pm on 28 Sep

read more at YouTube

Please send Donald Trump to Mars, tweets user

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:19 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Reacting to Elon Musk's plan to send humans to Mars in the next decade, a user tweeted, "Will you please send Donald Trump to Mars?" Another user tweeted, "There are children born today who will be Martians." A user also tweeted, "Martians may not be happy about this." "Will you need a passport to go to Mars?" tweeted a user.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:19 pm on 28 Sep

read more at Tweet Collection

Steve Jobs once called 'Think Different' ad script 'shit'

short by Vani Vivek / 05:54 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Steve Jobs initially did not like the script for Apple's iconic 'Think Different' campaign and even called it "shit". Launched 19 years ago on September 28, 1997 with the 'To the crazy ones' commercial, the campaign featured personalities like Albert Einstein and Mahatma Gandhi. The accompanying poem started with, "Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers."

short by Vani Vivek / 05:54 pm on 28 Sep

read more at YouTube

Microsoft partners Renault-Nissan for cloud-connected cars

short by Vani Vivek / 05:38 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Technology company Microsoft has partnered with the alliance between automotive manufacturers Renault-Nissan to work on connected car technologies. The services will provide advanced navigation, remote monitoring of car features, and over-the-air updates for cars connected to Microsoft's cloud computing platform Azure. Renault-Nissan aims to develop over 10 autonomous vehicles by 2020.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:38 pm on 28 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Moscow to replace Microsoft software with local products

short by Vani Vivek / 05:35 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Moscow will replace Microsoft software with domestic offerings following President Vladimir Putin's call for Russian authorities to reduce reliance on foreign technology from US and Europe. The city will initially drop MS Outlook on 6,000 computers and instead use an email system by a state-run carrier. Moscow may also consider replacing Windows and Office, said Moscow's Head of IT.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:35 pm on 28 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Google launches Play Music to rival iTunes in India

short by Vani Vivek / 04:27 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Technology giant Google has launched its Play Music store in India to compete with existing stores like Apple's iTunes, Times Internet's Gaana, and Saavn. Content has been priced starting from ₹15 for singles and ₹90 for albums. Google has not yet launched its 'Music Access All' service in India which gives users access to unlimited music for a subscription fee.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:27 pm on 28 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Tinder 'Boost' to put users' profile on top for 30 mins

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:25 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Dating app Tinder is testing a new feature in Australia called 'Boost' that will put a user's profile on the top of nearby profiles for 30 minutes. Tinder claims that the Boost feature could increase a user's profile views by up to 10 times. Once launched, the feature can be purchased by the users any time they want.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:25 pm on 28 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Elon Musk plans to generate fuel on Mars

short by Vani Vivek / 04:22 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

While unveiling SpaceX's plan to transport people to and from Mars, the aerospace manufacturer's Founder Elon Musk has said fuel can be created on Mars with "relative ease". Since no rocket has ever been launched from Mars before, Musk has said SpaceX will build a "propellant farm" on the planet to synthesise Methane from the ice and carbon dioxide available.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:22 pm on 28 Sep

read more at The Verge

SpaceX's rocket to Mars will be reused 1,000 times

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:10 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

The planned rocket to take humans to Mars made by space exploration startup SpaceX led by Elon Musk, will be reused 1,000 times. The rocket will be able to carry 100 humans and their cargo in 80 days to Mars in the next 10 years. According to Musk, 1 million people will be needed to build a colony on Mars.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:10 pm on 28 Sep

read more at The Verge

Only reason to make money is to colonise Mars: Elon Musk

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:08 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Space exploration startup SpaceX's Founder Elon Musk while revealing his plan to set up a human colony on Mars said, "The main reason I’m personally accumulating assets is to fund this." Regarding the plan's funding, Musk said, "I think the support will snowball over time." He is willing to spend his personal assets worth $8.6 billion to fund the plan.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:08 pm on 28 Sep

read more at The Verge

Govt clears ₹2,000 crore IT platform for GST rollout

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 03:45 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved the ₹2,256 crore ‘Project SAKSHAM’, an information technology-based platform for the rollout of the GST regime. It will also help in the extension of the Indian Customs Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade (SWIFT) and other taxpayer-friendly initiatives under Digital India, besides improving the ease of doing business.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 03:45 pm on 28 Sep

read more at The Verge

Video sums up Musk's Mars colonisation event in 5 mins

short by Vani Vivek / 03:43 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

A YouTube video summarises SpaceX Founder Elon Musk's presentation on Tuesday in under five minutes. Musk unveiled the aerospace manufacturer's Interplanetary Transport System, which aims at setting up a fully self-sustaining civilisation on Mars within the next 40-100 years. He also outlined plans of setting up fuel farms on the planet to launch rockets from Mars to Earth.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:43 pm on 28 Sep

read more at YouTube

Mars visitors should be prepared to die: Elon Musk

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:21 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Space exploration startup SpaceX's Founder Elon Musk, who on Tuesday unveiled a plan to send humans to Mars, said that people interested in going to Mars should also be prepared to die. "The first journey will be very dangerous, and the risk of fatality will be very high,” he added. Musk plans to send humans to Mars in 10 years.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:21 pm on 28 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Adidas reveals first shoe made entirely by robots

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:12 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

German shoemaker Adidas has revealed its first ever shoe made entirely by robots at the company's robot manufacturing plant in the home market. The company currently manufactures around 300 million shoes annually, mostly made by hand. Adidas says that in a couple of years, its robot-staffed manufacturing plants will produce a million pairs annually.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:12 pm on 28 Sep

read more at Recode

Elon Musk reveals plans to set up colony on Mars

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:46 pm on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

SpaceX Founder Elon Musk on Tuesday revealed plans to set up a colony on Mars, by sending humans to Mars for $200,000 in 80 days within the next decade. “One path is we stay on Earth forever, and there will be some eventual extinction event... the alternative is to become a space-faring civilization and a multiplanet species,” Musk added.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:46 pm on 28 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

New iMessage app automatically turns photos into GIFs

short by Satyaki Das / 04:23 am on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

US-based independent developer, Genady Okrain has developed an iMessage app, called Momento, that 'automatically' turns photos from an iPhone user's camera roll into GIFs. The app scans the user's photo library to figure out which photos will make good GIFs, then makes them available for sharing. The app is available on the iMessage App Store priced at $1.99.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:23 am on 28 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Microsoft's 'virtual PC' tool makes Edge more secure

short by Satyaki Das / 04:01 am on 28 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Microsoft on Monday introduced the 'Windows Defender Application Guard' for its Edge browser, an application that isolates the browser like a "virtual PC", to make it harder to hack. It uses the recently introduced Virtualization Based Security and keeps Edge separate from processes including storage, apps and Windows 10 kernel. The system is currently available for Windows 10 Enterprise.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:01 am on 28 Sep

read more at Engadget

Microsoft unveils cloud-based tool for smart debugging

short by Satyaki Das / 11:15 pm on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled Project Springfield, a cloud-based tool aimed to help developers find and remove bugs in their applications. The tool combines fuzz testing, an automated way of testing code by firing semi-random input, with artificial intelligence tools that ask smarter what-if questions on detecting potential security issues. Developers can now sign up for the preview.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:15 pm on 27 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Google has changed its birthdate multiple times

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:20 pm on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Google released a doodle to mark its 18th birthday on September 27, but the tech-giant notably admitted in 2013 that it was not sure about its actual birthdate. While Google has celebrated its birthday on September 27 since 2006, it had released doodles on September 7, 8, and 26 in earlier years. Interestingly, Google was incorporated on September 4, 1998.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:20 pm on 27 Sep

read more at Google

Disney considering to buy Twitter: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:15 pm on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Walt Disney Company is reportedly working with a financial adviser to evaluate a possible bid to buy micro-blogging site Twitter. Previous reports had suggested that search giant Google and cloud computing major Salesforce are also looking to buy Twitter. The platform is said to have been looking for a buyer after stalled growth and weak quarterly results.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:15 pm on 27 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Xiaomi unveils Mi 5s, 5s Plus in China

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:58 pm on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Xiaomi on Tuesday unveiled its latest all-metal handsets 5s and 5s Plus in its home market with prices starting from $300 and $344 respectively. While Xiaomi 5s has a 5.15-inch display, 5s Plus has a larger 5.7-inch display and 13 MP dual cameras on the rear. Notably, Xiaomi's China rival Apple recently launched iPhone 7 Plus with dual rear cameras.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:58 pm on 27 Sep

App gives drivers free coffee for not looking at phone

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:44 pm on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

A new smartphone app called 'Driving Barista' has been launched in Japan that rewards drivers with a free coffee voucher if they drive for 100 kilometres without looking at their phones. The app uses a phone's inbuilt gyroscope and GPS to check if the phone has been lifted and how much distance has been covered respectively.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:44 pm on 27 Sep

read more at Daily Mail

Humans have no future if they don’t go to space: Hawking

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:37 pm on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

In the recently launched book 'How To Make A Spaceship', physicist Stephen Hawking has said, "I think the human race has no future if it doesn’t go to space." He further said, "I believe that life on Earth is at an ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as a sudden nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus."

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:37 pm on 27 Sep

read more at The Guardian

Journalists at US Presidential Debate paid $200 for Wi-Fi

short by Vani Vivek / 07:36 pm on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

News organisations covering the US Presidential Debate on Monday were required to pay $200 for a "secure wireless internet connection" at Hofstra University in New York. The venue also charged journalists $75 for a seat in the media filing room without internet access. Further, technicians at the venue reportedly used an 'Aircheck WiFi Tester' to detect and shut private hotspots.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:36 pm on 27 Sep

read more at Engadget

Documentary accusing John McAfee of rape, murder released

short by Vani Vivek / 07:30 pm on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

American cable network Showtime has released a documentary, 'Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee' accusing Founder of McAfee anti-virus software of rape and involvement in two murders. The documentary follows how McAfee developed an armed security force and became a drug lord. "I didn't expect to find the amount of shocking details that I did," said the documentary's director.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:30 pm on 27 Sep

read more at YouTube

Reliance Jio sending user data to foreign firms: Anonymous

short by Vani Vivek / 07:27 pm on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

The Indian arm of hacker activist group Anonymous has claimed that Reliance Jio is sharing user call data with foreign companies. The group has also listed a step-by-step guide on its Tumblr account on how to verify their claims. Last year, Anonymous had released a blog post accusing Reliance of sharing user location data with China.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:27 pm on 27 Sep

read more at Google

Hey Google you up for a beer, tweets user

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:23 pm on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Reacting to search giant Google turning 18 on Tuesday, a user tweeted, "Hey Google. You up for a beer or something?" Another user tweeted, "Now Google can cast vote in India...and most eligible bachelor for marriage." A user also tweeted, "If #Google was born in India, its relatives would have started advising it to get married and get settled."

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:23 pm on 27 Sep

read more at Tweet Collection

Jeff Bezos tweets 1st images of space tourism rocket model

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:21 pm on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Aerospace startup Blue Origin's Founder Jeff Bezos on Monday tweeted images of the model of rocket 'New Glenn' aimed to take humans on a space tour. The rocket is named after the first US astronaut to orbit Earth. Bezos showed the images hours after SpaceX Founder Elon Musk tweeted images of the rocket engine aimed to take humans to Mars.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:21 pm on 27 Sep

read more at Daily Mail

Google got its name because of a mis-spelling

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:18 pm on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Tech giant Google's name is a misspelling of the word "googol," which is a mathematical term for the number represented by the numeral 1 followed by 100 zeros. The name reflects Founders Larry and Sergey's mission to organize a seemingly infinite amount of information on the web. The search engine is celebrating its 18th birthday on Tuesday.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:18 pm on 27 Sep

read more at Google

New map service will find parking space in real-time

short by Vani Vivek / 03:35 pm on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Mapping data provider 'Here', co-owned by Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, has developed a platform through which cars will be able to exchange information in real-time. Vehicles will use their sensors and cameras to offer details on free parking spaces, traffic conditions and road hazards. The platform, scheduled to roll-out in 2017, will start by sourcing data from its parent automakers.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:35 pm on 27 Sep

read more at Engadget

Man reports battery fire in new Samsung Note 7

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:12 pm on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

A Chinese man has reported that the battery of a new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone exploded less than 24 hours after he bought it. The man claimed that the incident caused minor injuries to him and burned his Apple MacBook. The handset belonged to the replaced batch of the smartphone made by Samsung after several phones caught fire.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:12 pm on 27 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Google Station to provide Wi-Fi at cafes, malls in India

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:45 pm on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Technology giant Google, which turned 18 on Tuesday, has announced a fast public Wi-Fi initiative for India called 'Google Station'. Under the initiative, Google will partner with cafes, malls and bus stops to roll-out safe Wi-Fi hotspots in public places and organisations. Last year, Google partnered with the Indian Railways and RailTel to provide Wi-Fi at 400 railway stations.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:45 pm on 27 Sep

read more at The Verge

Google's YouTube Go app to share videos without data

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:33 pm on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Google on Tuesday announced a new app called 'YouTube Go' that will let users share saved videos with nearby users without using data, but through a Bluetooth connection. The India-first app will let users choose the video quality before saving a video to save more data. The app will also provide a short preview of videos before saving or watching.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:33 pm on 27 Sep

read more at The Verge

US tech company sued for discrimination against Asians

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:34 pm on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Silicon Valley technology company Palantir has been sued by the US Department of Labor for alleged discrimination against Asian job applicants. The lawsuit claims that Palantir eliminated Asian applicants during resume screenings and telephone interviews, even when they were as qualified as white applicants. Palantir helps government agencies track down terrorists and uncover financial fraud.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:34 pm on 27 Sep

read more at Reuters

Artificial Intelligence creates 'first-ever' songs

short by Prashanti Moktan / 09:30 am on 27 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Scientists at Sony have claimed that they have created "first-ever entire songs composed by Artificial Intelligence". The two songs 'Daddy's Car' and 'Mister Shadow' have been developed using 'FlowMachines', an AI system that learns music styles from a vast database of songs to compose new songs. 'Daddy's Car' has been composed in the style of the English band 'The Beatles'.

short by Prashanti Moktan / 09:30 am on 27 Sep

read more at YouTube

LED skirt lights up as per actual star chart

short by Prashanti Moktan / 10:50 pm on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

American online retailer 'ThinkGeek' has created a skirt called the 'Twinkling Stars Skirt', which consists of over 250 LED lights that twinkle based on an actual star chart. The blue skirt has three layers comprising a white liner, a gauze layer and a see-through constellation layer. The skirt has been priced at $59.99.

short by Prashanti Moktan / 10:50 pm on 26 Sep

read more at YouTube

World's first computer music recording restored

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:55 pm on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

University of Canterbury's researchers Jack Copeland and Jason Long have successfully restored the first ever music recording done by a computer. Originally recorded in 1951, the music clip includes three melodies played by a gigantic primeval computer made by British scientist Alan Turing. The recording is now available in a two-minute audio clip with extraneous noise filtered out for clarity.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:55 pm on 26 Sep

read more at The Guardian

SpaceX tests rocket engine aimed to take humans to Mars

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:41 pm on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

Elon Musk Co-founded aerospace company SpaceX on Monday test-fired the interplanetary transport rocket engine Raptor, which aims to take the humans to Mars by 2024. The rocket aims at a specific impulse of 382 seconds and a thrust of 3 MN (310 metric tons), which is more than three times that of the current Falcon 9 rocket.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:41 pm on 26 Sep

read more at Engadget

Replaced Galaxy Note 7 phones overheating: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:25 pm on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

The new exchanged versions of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in South Korea are reportedly facing overheating problems, with battery power getting lost even during a charging session. Samsung has officially delayed sales for the new units in South Korea from September 28 to October 1. Earlier, Samsung issued a global recall for the handset over battery overheating issue.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:25 pm on 26 Sep

HP launches world's smallest printer in India at ₹7,176

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:27 pm on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

American technology major HP on Monday launched the world's smallest printer, the 'HP DeskJet 3700' in India priced at ₹7,176. The all-in-one inkjet printer can print, scan, copy and supports mobile printing through a Wi-Fi connection. The printer can also connect to Facebook, Instagram and other social media accounts to print directly from the platforms.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:27 pm on 26 Sep

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:19 pm on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

Social media giant Facebook has apologised for disabling the accounts of several Palestinian journalists and activists. "The pages were removed in error and restored as soon as we were able to investigate," said Facebook. The journalists, however, believe that Facebook bowed to the pressure by the Israeli government to rein in content that, Israel feels, incites violence.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:19 pm on 26 Sep

read more at India Today

Chinese firm bans employees from buying iPhone 7

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:04 pm on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

A Chinese company has announced a new policy that bans all its employees from buying Apple's latest smartphones - the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus. According to the policy, any employee buying the new iPhone will be forced to resign from the company. The policy is aimed at encouraging the employees to buy domestic products and support China.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:04 pm on 26 Sep

read more at Google

Users drill holes into iPhone 7 to create headphone jack

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:29 pm on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

Some iPhone 7 owners have fallen prey to a spoof video that shows how to create a headphone jack in the device by digging a hole in the handset through a 3.5 mm drill. The users who drilled holes in their devices reportedly ended up destroying their handsets. Notably, Apple's latest iPhone 7 smartphone doesn't have a headphone jack.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:29 pm on 26 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

Bike company prints TV image on boxes to avoid damages

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:56 pm on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

Netherlands-based smart bike making company VanMoof has started printing a television image on the boxes carrying bikes to avoid shipping damages. The move reduced the bikes' shipping damage by 70-80%, claims the company's ‎Creative Director. VanMoof, for whom the bike damage reports are a major problem, had planned to keep the trick a secret.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:56 pm on 26 Sep

read more at The Verge

Tweetstorm father Marc Andreessen deletes all his tweets

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:54 pm on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

Popular Silicon Valley entrepreneur and the man who coined the word 'Tweetstorm', Marc Andreessen recently deleted all his tweets from his Twitter account, without citing any reason. "Taking a Twitter break!" tweeted Andreessen after deleting all his tweets. 'Tweetstorm' is a series of related tweets that are sent in quick succession which starts with a number and a slash.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:54 pm on 26 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

E-ink display for truck shows traffic jams ahead

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:39 pm on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

German advertising company RoadAds and Slovenian startup Visionect have created a 32-inch E-ink display for the trucks to show traffic jams ahead in real-time. The display can also be used to show location-based advertisements and information like the distance to the next gas station. The GPS, 4G and Wi-Fi-enabled display can also be used to track a truck's location.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:39 pm on 26 Sep

read more at Google

Oracle cuts Co-founder Larry Ellison’s salary by 35%

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:11 pm on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

Technology major Oracle has cut pay of its top executives in 2016, including a 35% pay cut for Co-founder and Chairman Larry Ellison, who received $41.5 million this year. Oracle's Co-chief executive officers Safra Catz and Mark Hurd each received $41 million, a 23% decline from last year. The move comes after Oracle faced shareholder opposition for its compensation practices.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:11 pm on 26 Sep

read more at Livemint

MP boy develops app to identify developmental disorders

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:06 am on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

Harsh Songra, a Bhopal-based 19-year-old boy, has created an app, called ‘My Child’, that helps parents diagnose developmental disorders in children. It identifies developmental, neurological, motor and speech impairment issues through a questionnaire consisting of only ‘yes’ and ‘no’ questions, and derives the results in 45 seconds. Notably, Songra himself suffers from a coordination disorder.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:06 am on 26 Sep

read more at The Better India

Google's Chrome OS update can run Android apps

short by Satyaki Das / 02:19 am on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

Google has released an update for its browser-based operating system Chrome OS that includes a beta version of the Google Play Store. The update, which is compatible only with Acer Chromebook R11 and ASUS Chromebook Flip laptops, lets users run Android applications besides standard web access. The update is expected to be rolled out to other Chromebook devices by 2017.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:19 am on 26 Sep

read more at Engadget

Startup makes mod to add camera controls to iPhones

short by Satyaki Das / 02:14 am on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

Israel-based camera accessory startup Miggo has made the Pictar, a camera mod for iPhones. The device has a grip that allows the iPhone to be handled like a typical SLR camera, with features including a dedicated shutter button, an exposure control wheel and a zoom dial-cum-selfie-button. The $90 device is compatible with all iPhone models up to the 6S Plus.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:14 am on 26 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Google Hangouts update adds new emoticon shortcuts

short by Satyaki Das / 02:12 am on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

Google Hangouts has added 20 new emoticon shortcuts in its latest update. The shortcuts feature emoticons like 'shrug', 'facepalm', 'dealwithit', 'tableflip' and 'facepalm'. The latest Hangouts update also features a new in-app browser option setting called 'Browse with Hangouts', but it is reportedly only available to some users.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:12 am on 26 Sep

read more at Engadget

iTunes to launch service for 'listening to content'

short by Satyaki Das / 02:02 am on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

Apple is launching a 'Spoken Edition' service on its iTunes music service, that will feature short-form programs focussed on turning media publishers' articles and news into audio content. Some of the publishers supported by the new system include TechCrunch, Wired, Time, Forbes and Playboy. The service will be rolled out in October, according to a report.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:02 am on 26 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Startup creates battery-powered personal flight system

short by Satyaki Das / 01:45 am on 26 Sep 2016,Monday

Italy-based startup Glauco has developed a battery-powered personal flight system called 'Revolt'. The machine consists of a harness up front and four propellers in the rear, and is portable enough to fit in a small car. Launched on Kickstarter, the system is reported to deliver 90 kg of thrust, delivering performance equivalent to a 250 cc petrol engine.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:45 am on 26 Sep

read more at YouTube

Google's AI describes photos with 93% accuracy

short by Satyaki Das / 10:58 pm on 25 Sep 2016,Sunday

Google's auto-captioning algorithm claims to describe photos at up to 93.9% accuracy. Named 'Show and Tell', the open-source algorithm can be 'trained' by feeding human-captioned images. Developers expect it to describe 'unseen' images once it has processed a large enough sample of captioned images. The project's initial version was launched in 2014 with an accuracy of up to 89.6%.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:58 pm on 25 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Robot uses trial-and-error to win ball-in-a-cup game

short by Satyaki Das / 10:22 pm on 25 Sep 2016,Sunday

Softbank's humanoid robot 'Pepper' recently learned to play ball-in-a-cup game using the trial-and-error method, taking 100 attempts. Initially, the robot's arm was manually guided. Each failed attempt enabled it to analyse past performance and slightly alter the next try's movement, to understand optimal trajectory like a human learning. After 100 tries, the robot maintained a 100% success rate.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:22 pm on 25 Sep

read more at The Next Web

London hosts 'Virtual Reality Orchestra'

short by Satyaki Das / 07:38 pm on 25 Sep 2016,Sunday

London's Southbank Centre is currently hosting a 'Virtual Reality Orchestra' that simulates an orchestral experience via virtual reality headsets. Visitors can experience the London Philharmonia Orchestra 'sitting amidst' performers as they perform Sibelius' Fifth Symphony in the Royal Festival Hall. "We wanted... people to get an insight of the dynamics," Philharmonia Orchestra said.

short by Satyaki Das / 07:38 pm on 25 Sep

read more at Phys

Indian-origin man's app lets women choose sperm donor

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:26 pm on 25 Sep 2016,Sunday

Scientific Director at the London Sperm Bank, Kamal Ahuja of Indian origin has made an app called 'Order a daddy' to let women choose a sperm donor. The app allows women to browse for potential fathers by choosing a donor with desired characteristics like hair, eye colour, height, education or occupation. It further allows women to order the sperm sample.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:26 pm on 25 Sep

read more at Google

YouTube 'Heroes' to report inappropriate videos

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:50 pm on 25 Sep 2016,Sunday

YouTube has launched a new program where users termed as 'Heroes' will help the video-sharing platform to report and flag inappropriate comments and videos. YouTube Heroes will be provided with a separate dashboard where they can see the status of reported items and track their contributions. The more content a person reports, the more features get unlocked on the dashboard.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:50 pm on 25 Sep

read more at Engadget

Yahoo sued for negligence over 500 mn accounts hack

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:27 pm on 25 Sep 2016,Sunday

Technology major Yahoo has been sued by a user accusing the company of gross negligence over the recently confirmed 2014 hacking in which information was stolen from 500 million accounts. The user has sued Yahoo on behalf of all the users in the United States whose personal information was compromised. The lawsuit seeks class-action status and unspecified damages.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:27 pm on 25 Sep

read more at Reuters

Kate Middleton's sister's iCloud hacked; 3k photos stolen

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:50 pm on 25 Sep 2016,Sunday

Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton's sister Pippa Middleton's iCloud account was recently attacked by hackers who stole 3,000 photos from the account. Besides Pippa's photos, the stolen photos include images of Kate and her children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The photos were offered on WhatsApp to two publishers by an anonymous seller who asked for $65,000 within 48 hours.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:50 pm on 25 Sep

read more at The Guardian

Lenovo to launch modular Moto Z in India on Oct 4

short by Vani Vivek / 04:44 pm on 25 Sep 2016,Sunday

Lenovo-owned Motorola will launch its first modular smartphones, Moto Z, Moto Z Force and Moto Z Play in India on October 4. The phones can be customised with 'Moto Mods', magnetic swappable backs that bring additional features like speakers, external battery packs and a projector. Moto Z comes with a 5.5-inch display, 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal memory.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:44 pm on 25 Sep

Yahoo Mail for Android adds fingerprint recognition

short by Vani Vivek / 03:59 pm on 25 Sep 2016,Sunday

Yahoo has rolled out an update for its Android Yahoo Mail app, with security features like fingerprint recognition support. The update will allow users to access the app using the fingerprint scanner on their smartphone. The update comes less than a week after the company confirmed that at least 500 million accounts on its platform had been hacked in 2014.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:59 pm on 25 Sep

Smart calculator app update solves handwritten problems

short by Vani Vivek / 03:18 pm on 25 Sep 2016,Sunday

Photomath, a smart calculator app which uses real-time machine vision technology to scan and solve math problems, has introduced an update allowing iOS users to scan handwritten problems through their smartphone cameras. Previously, the app could only recognise printed material. Photomath also provides step-by-step solutions to problems on topics like linear equations, decimals and fractions.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:18 pm on 25 Sep

read more at YouTube

Hacker sentenced to 20 yrs in prison for helping ISIS

short by Vani Vivek / 02:49 pm on 25 Sep 2016,Sunday

A man from Kosovo was on Friday sentenced to 20 years in prison for hacking a US company to help ISIS create a hit list. The man had admitted to providing ISIS with information of about 1,300 government and military personnel. This is considered to be the first conviction in USA for terrorism-related hacking.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:49 pm on 25 Sep

read more at Engadget

Google to launch Wi-Fi router on Oct 4: Report

short by Vani Vivek / 02:08 pm on 25 Sep 2016,Sunday

Technology giant Google will reportedly launch its own Wi-Fi router, 'Google WiFi' priced at $129 at its event on October 4. According to reports, the device has been designed so that multiple router units can be linked together to form a mesh network. The company is also slated to unveil its new 'Pixel' brand smartphones on the same day.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:08 pm on 25 Sep

read more at The Verge

Falcon 9 blew up due to helium system breach: SpaceX

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:32 pm on 25 Sep 2016,Sunday

Elon Musk co-founded aerospace manufacturer SpaceX said that its Falcon 9 rocket may have exploded due to a large breach in its helium system. The rocket exploded while launching in September, destroying Facebook's satellite that would've provided free internet across 14 African countries. The satellite's maker Spacecom is asking SpaceX for either $50 million in compensation or a free flight.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:32 pm on 25 Sep

read more at Engadget

Transformable train seats accommodate 15-30% more people

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:30 pm on 25 Sep 2016,Sunday

The design shop behind the new London Tube, PriestmanGoode has designed a pair of transformable train seats that can accommodate 15–30% more passengers. While one of the seats can be folded to create more space, an adjustable seat on the side can be opened during overcrowding. Another seat design includes less wide seats and reduced gaps between rows.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:30 pm on 25 Sep

read more at The Verge

Medicine delivery by drones being tested by UPS

short by Satyaki Das / 08:37 pm on 24 Sep 2016,Saturday

US-based logistics provider United Parcel Service (UPS) is testing delivery of emergency medical supplies by drones. The service is set to begin trials this week in rural parts of the state of Massachusetts. Notably, UPS is a stakeholder in Zipline, a drone startup that has been ferrying blood and vaccines in the African nation of Rwanda since July.

short by Satyaki Das / 08:37 pm on 24 Sep

read more at Engadget

Samsung Gear VR to support Xbox wireless controller

short by Satyaki Das / 07:52 pm on 24 Sep 2016,Saturday

Microsoft on Saturday announced that it is making its Xbox controller compatible with Samsung's Gear VR headset. Gamers will be able to play the Gear VR edition of 'Minecraft' using the new Xbox wireless controller, on their Gear VR-compatible smartphone. The update, which will launch in October, will eventually be rolled out to games like 'Spirit Champion' and 'Omega Agent'.

short by Satyaki Das / 07:52 pm on 24 Sep

read more at Engadget

Apple update fixes bug that shut headphone controls

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:19 pm on 24 Sep 2016,Saturday

Technology giant Apple has released an iOS 10.0.2 update to fix a bug that shut down the physical controls of Lightning headphones after a period of inactivity. The bug was reported soon after iPhone 7's launch last week. It fixes two other bugs including the one which caused Photos to quit when some users switched on iCloud Photo Library.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:19 pm on 24 Sep

read more at The Verge

Video: Walk-around of the Honda Jet

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:29 pm on 24 Sep 2016,Saturday

An eight-minute YouTube video explores the Honda Jet HA-420, which is developed by the company's subsidiary Honda Aircraft Company. The aircraft, priced at $4.5 million, has a range of 1,358 miles. Honda Motor Company, which was founded on September 24, 1948, reportedly invested between $1.5 and $2 billion in the development of the jet.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:29 pm on 24 Sep

read more at YouTube

Samsung sets charging limit of 80% for recalled Note 7

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:05 pm on 24 Sep 2016,Saturday

After some users refused to return their recalled Galaxy Note 7 smartphones over battery overheating issues, Samsung has set the device's charging limit to 80%. Samsung had earlier set the charging limit at 60% through an update to avoid potential issues. The update has been rolled out only in Samsung's home market Korea.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:05 pm on 24 Sep

read more at Engadget

It's Google glass, but for hipsters, tweets user

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:49 pm on 24 Sep 2016,Saturday

Reacting to Snapchat's smart glasses Spectacles that takes 10-second videos, a user tweeted, "Oh look, it's Google glass, but for hipsters #Snapchat #Spectacles". Another user tweeted, "*Snaptacles* should have been the name, surely? #snap #spectacles". A user also tweeted, "I think these are pretty cool and people will like them a lot. Easy for parties and festivals".

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:49 pm on 24 Sep

read more at Tweet Collection

Snapchat rebrands itself to 'Snap'

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:38 pm on 24 Sep 2016,Saturday

Photo and video sharing platform Snapchat on Saturday rebranded itself as 'Snap'. The company also forayed into the hardware segment by launching a pair of smart glasses called 'Spectacles', that take 10-second videos. "Now that we are developing other products, like Spectacles, we need a name that goes beyond just one product," said Snapchat's Co-founder Evan Spiegel.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:38 pm on 24 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Deeply sorry that my actions impact Oculus: Co-founder

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:17 pm on 24 Sep 2016,Saturday

Oculus Co-founder Palmer Luckey on Saturday in a Facebook post said, "I am deeply sorry that my actions are negatively impacting the perception of Oculus and its partners". "My actions were my own and do not represent Oculus," he added. Luckey recently invested $10,000 in Nimble America, a company creating anti-Hillary Clinton memes and supporting US Presidential candidate Donald Trump.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:17 pm on 24 Sep

read more at VentureBeat

Google self-driving car crashes into a van

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:54 pm on 24 Sep 2016,Saturday

Google's self-driving car on Friday crashed into a van after the van reportedly crossed a red light in Mountain View, California. Nobody was injured in the accident and local television stations reported that the Google car had been in control at the time of the crash. The car was reportedly manned by a Google employee who applied the brakes.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:54 pm on 24 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Snapchat launches smart glasses to take 10 sec videos

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:39 pm on 24 Sep 2016,Saturday

Photo-sharing platform Snapchat on Saturday forayed into the hardware segment by launching a pair of smart glasses called 'Spectacles' that capture 10-second videos. Priced at $130, the glasses will allow the video to sync wirelessly to a user's phone for sharing purposes. The camera in the glasses will use a 115° lens and the video captured will be circular.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:39 pm on 24 Sep

read more at YouTube

New ride-sharing electric car to last for 16L kms

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:10 pm on 24 Sep 2016,Saturday

Dutch startup Amber Mobility is planning to launch a ride-sharing electric vehicle next year called 'Amber One' which will have a lifespan of more than 16 lakh kilometres. It will accelerate from 0-100 kmph in seven seconds and have a top speed of 160 kmph. The company claims it to be the first car specifically designed to be shared.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:10 pm on 24 Sep

read more at Autoblog

Alibaba plans to launch world's first e-comm satellite

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:09 pm on 24 Sep 2016,Saturday

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group's shopping website Juhuasuan is planning to launch the world's first e-commerce satellite next year. The satellite will analyse agricultural cultivation and harvesting data to help provide people with the best vegetables. The company is further planning to develop a series of customised products with the help of satellite data.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:09 pm on 24 Sep

read more at India Today

Nintendo had to ban Apple Co-founder from its magazine

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:34 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Nintendo had to ban Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak from submitting his Tetris score to Nintendo Power magazine in 1988, as he would top the listings every month. The company, which was founded on September 23, 1889, reportedly wanted fresh names and did not accept Wozniak's submissions. Wozniak interestingly submitted his next entry as 'Evets Kainzow', his name spelled backwards.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:34 pm on 23 Sep

read more at Google

Nintendo started as playing card company 127 years ago

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:54 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Electronics and software company Nintendo started as a manufacturer of Japanese playing cards 127 years ago on September 23, 1889. The company moved into the toys and gaming industry in the 1960s. One of the largest video game companies in the world, the Japanese multinational is famous for creating Mario and Pokemon.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:54 pm on 23 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Twitter shares gain biggest in 2 yrs on sale reports

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:34 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Micro-blogging site Twitter's shares soared more than 19% on Friday in their biggest gain in over two years after reports emerged of company's potential buyout talks with Google and Salesforce. However, Salesforce shares fell more than 3%, while Google's parent Alphabet's share dipped around 0.25%. Since going public in 2013, Twitter posted its slowest revenue growth in its latest quarter.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:34 pm on 23 Sep

read more at Reuters

Android Founders had run out of cash in 2003

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:32 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

The Founders of the mobile operating system Android had run out of cash in 2003 before being bailed out by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Steve Perlman. The company was paid $10,000 in cash by Steve without accepting any equity in the company. Android was later acquired by Google in 2005, and the first version was released on September 23, 2008.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:32 pm on 23 Sep

read more at Google

Twitter in sale talks with Google, Salesforce: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:58 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Micro-blogging site Twitter is reportedly in talks with technology majors Google and Salesforce for a potential sale and may receive a formal bid soon. The potential buyers of Twitter are said to be interested in the data the company generates. Founded in 2006, Twitter's user growth has stalled and revenue has fallen in the last two years.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:58 pm on 23 Sep

read more at The Verge

Teen takes less than a day to jailbreak iPhone 7

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:50 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Just two weeks after Apple's iPhone 7's launch, teenage hacker Luca Todesco has claimed jailbreaking the device running iOS 10 in less than 24 hours. Todesco shared the achievement on Twitter and YouTube, but did not reveal the details of how it was achieved. "The iPhone 7 is not 100 percent secure – like nothing else is," said Todesco.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:50 pm on 23 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Elon Musk to unveil solar roof with integrated battery

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:47 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Tesla Co-founder and CEO Elon Musk is planning to unveil solar roof with integrated Tesla battery on October 28 this year. The product is in line with Musk's vision of green homes that run on solar energy and use battery storage to help power systems, including charging electric cars. Tesla is buying renewable energy company SolarCity for $2.6 billion.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:47 pm on 23 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Some iPhone 7 owners complain of poor call quality

short by Vani Vivek / 06:50 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Users of Apple's latest smartphones iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus have complained of poor audio quality during phone calls. "It's like the phone is hollow and the sound is coming from behind it", wrote an iPhone 7 Plus owner on the company's 'support' forum. Earlier, some users had also reported that the devices were producing a hissing sound.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:50 pm on 23 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Hack of 500mn Yahoo accounts is biggest data breach ever

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:48 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

The hack of nearly half a billion Yahoo accounts in 2014, which was confirmed by the company on Thursday, is the biggest known data breach ever. The hacking of over 360 million MySpace accounts earlier this year comes second, while the 2016 LinkedIn leak comes third with over 100 million accounts hacked. Yahoo believes the breach was a "state-sponsored act".

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:48 pm on 23 Sep

Apple makes its first startup acquisition in India

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:32 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Technology giant Apple has made its first ever startup acquisition in India, by acquiring Hyderabad-based machine learning startup Tuplejump for an undisclosed amount. Founded in 2013 by Rohit Rai and Satyaprakash Buddhavarapu, Tuplejump operates in India as well as the United States. As per CrunchBase, Apple has made 82 acquisitions since it was founded in 1976.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:32 pm on 23 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

1st two Android versions were not named after desserts

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:08 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Unlike Google's tradition of naming Android versions after desserts, the first two versions were called Android 1.0 and 1.1. The first version to be named after a dessert was Android 1.5, Cupcake, which was followed by Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, Kitkat, Lollipop, Marshmallow, and Nougat. Android 1.0 was released on September 23, 2008.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:08 pm on 23 Sep

read more at Google

Was informed of Yahoo hack in last two days: Verizon

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:07 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Reacting to Yahoo confirming hack of 500 million accounts in 2014, Verizon, the company that acquired Yahoo's core business in July for $4.83 billion, said, "Within the last two days, we were notified of Yahoo's security incident". "We will evaluate as the investigation continues through the lens of overall Verizon interests," the company added.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:07 pm on 23 Sep

read more at Mashable

Android was not created by Google

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:58 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Mobile operating system Android was initially created and developed by a startup Android Inc., which was later acquired by tech giant Google in 2005 for a reported $50 million. The first version of Android was launched 8 years ago on September 23, 2008, and the operating system presently accounts for nearly 80% of the mobile OS market share globally.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:58 pm on 23 Sep

read more at Google

Uber rival Grab launches self-driving car fleet

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:23 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Uber's rival Grab has become the world's second ride-hailing service to offer self-driven cars on a trial basis by launching a fleet of autonomous cars in Singapore. This comes days after Uber debuted its self-driving vehicles in the United States. Grab has teamed with driverless software developer nuTonomy for the fleet, and plans a commercial launch by 2018.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:23 pm on 23 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Remove data of deleted accounts: Delhi HC to WhatsApp

short by Vani Vivek / 05:19 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Delhi High Court on Friday allowed messaging app Whatsapp to enforce its new privacy policy in India but directed it to permanently remove the data of users who delete their WhatsApp account before September 25. Last month, WhatsApp had asked users to accept changes in its terms that would allow it to share user data with Facebook.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:19 pm on 23 Sep

read more at Livemint

Samsung Note 2 catches fire on flight to Chennai

short by Vani Vivek / 05:07 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked passengers to avoid carrying Samsung Note devices aboard planes after a Galaxy Note 2 phone caught fire on Friday morning on a Chennai-bound flight. DGCA has summoned Samsung officials to its office on Monday. Earlier, Samsung had issued a global recall of its Note 7 smartphones over reports of exploding batteries.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:07 pm on 23 Sep

read more at Hindustan Times

Smart sunglasses with inbuilt earphones unveiled

short by Vani Vivek / 04:30 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Sunglass and sports equipment maker Oakley and technology firm Intel on Thursday unveiled the 'Radar Pace' smart sunglasses with inbuilt microphones and foldable earphones priced at $449. The glasses can be connected to any Bluetooth-enabled fitness tracker and feature a touch panel for music playback. The Radar Pace glasses also have sensors for speed tracking, humidity and proximity.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:30 pm on 23 Sep

read more at Engadget

Café Coffee Day to provide free WiFi in its cafes

short by Vani Vivek / 04:16 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

The Café Coffee Day (CCD) chain has partnered with WiFi service provider Ozone Networks to provide Wi-Fi to customers at its cafes. The service will be free for 30 minutes, following which users will be charged ₹15 for 30 minutes for 1 GB usage. The WiFi capabilities have already been rolled out to 225 CCD outlets in Delhi and Bangalore.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:16 pm on 23 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

Apple trolled on TV show with 'AirBag' spoof

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:11 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

After technology giant Apple filed a patent for a paper bag, it was trolled on American talk show Conan through an 'AirBag' spoof. The video featured an Apple-branded paper bag as a grocery carrying device, a cat home, and Halloween's evening mask. It ended with the tagline, 'Apple, we don't even know what you want anymore and we don't care'.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:11 pm on 23 Sep

read more at YouTube

Freedom 251 maker ropes in Sunny Leone for promotions

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:07 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Noida-based Ringing Bells, the maker of reportedly the world's cheapest smartphone Freedom 251 priced at ₹251, has roped in actress Sunny Leone to promote the company's loyalty card programme. Launched last month, the programme members will get free entry to Leone's event and lucky members will get to click a selfie with her.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:07 pm on 23 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

FB inflated avg time spent on videos by 80%: Report

short by Vani Vivek / 04:06 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Facebook has been giving its advertisers overestimated figures for average time spent by users on watching videos by about 60-80%, an ad buying agency has claimed. Earlier, Facebook had posted on its blog that it had "discovered a discrepancy between the definition of Average Duration of Video Viewed and its calculation", after reporting inflated figures for two years.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:06 pm on 23 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Tesla sues Michigan officials over ban on direct sales

short by Vani Vivek / 03:56 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Electric car maker Tesla has sued the Governor of US state Michigan and other officials in a federal court after the state rejected Tesla's application to sell vehicles directly to consumers. The company has said that the 2014 Michigan law barring it from operating a showroom or repairing vehicles in the state was passed specifically to hamper Tesla's dealership application.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:56 pm on 23 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Apple partners Flipkart to sell iPhone 7 in India

short by Vani Vivek / 03:37 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Technology giant Apple has partnered with e-commerce company Flipkart to sell its latest smartphones, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in India from October 7. Flipkart will source the phones directly from Apple instead of its third-party sellers. The price of iPhone 7 starts at ₹60,000, whereas the base iPhone 7 Plus model is priced at ₹72,000.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:37 pm on 23 Sep

read more at Mashable

Govt made 139 Twitter info requests in 6 months

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:36 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

According to Twitter's biannual Transparency Report, the Indian government made 139 account information requests involving 495 accounts during January-June 2016. Twitter received 42 requests for removal of content from the government, police and other law enforcement agencies, while one request was based on a court order. US topped the list of countries seeking account information.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:36 pm on 23 Sep

read more at India Today

Huawei to start making phones in India from October

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 03:12 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

China-based telecom firm Huawei will start manufacturing its smartphones in India from next month, the company said on Friday. The plant will be operated along with its Indian arm Flextronics International in Chennai, a Huawei statement read. Further, the firm will also expand its retail network in the country, increasing it to over 50,000 outlets it partners with, by 2016-end.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 03:12 pm on 23 Sep

read more at Reuters

Xiaomi plans to launch crowdfunding platform in India

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:06 pm on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi is planning to launch a crowdfunding platform in India that will help startups working on consumer electronics to raise funds and sell their products through the medium. Xiaomi already runs a similar crowdfunding platform in its home market China. "We'll have to change certain things before we can launch in India," said Xiaomi VP Hugo Barra.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:06 pm on 23 Sep

Instagram advertisers more than doubled in 6 months

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 11:00 am on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Facebook-owned media sharing platform Instagram on Thursday said the number of advertisers on its platform has more than doubled in the last six months to over 500,000. Earlier this year, Instagram had launched the Business Tools program for businesses to target potential users. Instagram, with over 500 million users, is expected to generate $1.5 billion in advertising revenue this year.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 11:00 am on 23 Sep

read more at Reuters

Will 'solve' cancer within next 10 years: Microsoft

short by Satyaki Das / 01:26 am on 23 Sep 2016,Friday

Software giant Microsoft has claimed it will "solve" cancer within the next ten years. According to reports, the company has started working towards tackling the disease like a computer virus, that attacks and damages body cells. The company has reportedly developed a 'biological computation' unit, which aims to make cells into 'living computers' that can be reprogrammed to treat cancer.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:26 am on 23 Sep

read more at Reuters

Video shows iPhone 7 being smashed with hammer

short by Vani Vivek / 06:58 pm on 22 Sep 2016,Thursday

A five-minute video by YouTube channel 'TechRax' shows Apple's latest smartphone, a 32 GB black iPhone 7 being scratched with a knife and smashed with a hammer. The video shows the iPhone getting scratches on its matte black back panel but none on its screen with the knife. A blow by a hammer weighing 1.3 kg finally cracks the screen.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:58 pm on 22 Sep

read more at YouTube

McLaren in rose gold and jet black colour, tweets user

short by Vani Vivek / 06:39 pm on 22 Sep 2016,Thursday

Reacting to the now-denied rumours of Apple acquiring McLaren, a user tweeted, "The McLaren MP4-31 and the MP4-31 Pro will be available in rose gold and jet black." A user tweeted, "No, ordinary petrol will not do, you need to buy our 'special' petrol...", while another wrote, "Can't change the battery you need to buy a new car sir."

short by Vani Vivek / 06:39 pm on 22 Sep

read more at Tweet Collection

Google to partner Maha govt to make Mumbai 'WiFi city'

short by Vani Vivek / 05:53 pm on 22 Sep 2016,Thursday

Following a meeting between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and technology giant Google during his four-day visit to USA, his office has said that Google "has extended support in making Mumbai a WiFi city". Under the government's Smart City initiative, Maharashtra has been planning to install over 1,200 WiFi hotspots in Mumbai.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:53 pm on 22 Sep

Don't use Google chat app Allo: Edward Snowden

short by Vani Vivek / 04:59 pm on 22 Sep 2016,Thursday

Former Central Intelligence Agency employee and whistleblower Edward Snowden on Wednesday warned against using Google Allo, the technology giant's smart messaging app over privacy concerns. He tweeted, "Free for download today: Google Mail...and Google Surveillance. That's Allo. Don't use Allo." Snowden noted that Allo "records every message you ever send and makes it available to police".

short by Vani Vivek / 04:59 pm on 22 Sep

read more at Google Blog

Chan, Zuckerberg to invest $3 billion to cure diseases

short by Vani Vivek / 04:11 pm on 22 Sep 2016,Thursday

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and paediatrician wife Priscilla Chan on Wednesday announced an investment of $3 billion over the next decade in an effort to cure human diseases through their Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. As the first investment under this endeavour, the couple has committed $600 million to the 'Biohub' project, which is developing new tools to measure and treat diseases.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:11 pm on 22 Sep

read more at The Verge

McLaren denies $1.3 bn Apple acquisition report

short by Vani Vivek / 03:35 pm on 22 Sep 2016,Thursday

British sports car manufacturer McLaren has denied reports that technology giant Apple had proposed a strategic investment or a potential acquisition of the company. "We regularly have confidential conversations with a wide range of parties, but we keep them confidential," added a McLaren spokesperson. Reports had pegged McLaren's valuation to be between $1.3-1.95 billion.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:35 pm on 22 Sep

read more at Reuters

Only 2 people attend iPhone 7 launch at Denmark store

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 02:02 pm on 22 Sep 2016,Thursday

A video of just two people attending the launch of Apple's iPhone 7 at a store in Denmark has surfaced online. A store employee fires confetti on the attendees, in the backdrop of a red carpet and party decorations such as balloons. The video of the launch has reportedly been viewed 200,000 times on Imgur.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 02:02 pm on 22 Sep

read more at India Today

New software that can spot deadly bacteria developed

short by Rini Kapoor / 03:50 am on 22 Sep 2016,Thursday

Scotland-based researchers have developed a software which enables computers to identify deadly bacteria like E.coli. It 'learns' DNA signatures linked with bacterial samples which have caused infectious outbreaks, and compares these signatures to identify animal strains likely to cause similar human infections. Scientists claim the research could be adapted for several other bacteria types.

short by Rini Kapoor / 03:50 am on 22 Sep

read more at Phys

Lenovo claims selling 1 lakh Moto E3 Power in one day

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:16 pm on 21 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Chinese technology company Lenovo on Wednesday claimed that it has sold one lakh units of the Moto E3 Power in just one day. "Our teams @Flipkart & @Moto_IND have made history. 100000 #MotoE3Power sold in one day," tweeted Motorola India's Country Head Amit Boni. The phone was launched on Flipkart on September 19 at a price of ₹7,999.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:16 pm on 21 Sep

read more at India Today

Has a headphone jack and won't explode, tweets user

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:15 pm on 21 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Reacting to Microsoft unveiling feature phone Nokia 216 priced at ₹2,495, a user tweeted, "I'm camping outside of a Microsoft store for this bad boy. Has a headphone jack and probably won't explode." Another user tweeted, "Nokia is launching a new smartphone called Endless Optimism." A user also tweeted, "I feel like developing apps for feature phone #Nokia216".

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:15 pm on 21 Sep

read more at Tweet Collection

Researchers control Tesla Model S from 19 km away

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:01 pm on 21 Sep 2016,Wednesday

A team of Chinese researchers was able to wirelessly access a high-tech Tesla Model S sedan and take control of its brakes, door locks and dashboard computer screen, from 19 km away. To gain access, the car was connected to a malicious Wi-Fi hotspot set up by the team. Tesla acknowledged the vulnerability and fixed it through a software update.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:01 pm on 21 Sep

read more at The Guardian

NYC bomber bought components on eBay: US Feds

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:00 pm on 21 Sep 2016,Wednesday

The man accused of bombing NYC and New Jersey over the weekend, Ahmad Rahami, purchased components for the explosives from online seller eBay, according to federal prosecutors. Rahami used eBay to purchase electric igniters, ball bearings and citric acid, a chemical used in explosives. In response, eBay said that the items "are legal to buy and sell in the US".

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:00 pm on 21 Sep

read more at The Verge

Microsoft unveils new Nokia feature phone at ₹2,495

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:41 pm on 21 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled a new Nokia feature phone named 'Nokia 216' priced at ₹2,495, to be launched in India on October 24. The handset features a 2.4-inch display, 0.3-megapixel front and rear cameras and a headphone jack. Microsoft announced plans to sell its feature phone business to Foxconn's subsidiary FIH Mobile for $350 million earlier this year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:41 pm on 21 Sep

read more at The Verge

The ₹60,000 iPhone 7 costs only ₹15,000 to make

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:32 pm on 21 Sep 2016,Wednesday

The entry-level 32 GB variant of Apple's latest iPhone 7, which will sell at ₹60,000 in India, costs the company ₹15,067 per unit to make, according to data by UK analysis firm IHS Markit. The figure is higher than an entry-level iPhone 6S launched in 2015, that cost Apple ₹12,594. The iPhone 7 is launching in India on October 7.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:32 pm on 21 Sep

read more at The Next Web

LeEco raises $1.08 bn to build electric sports car

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:10 pm on 21 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Chinese technology company LeEco has raised $1.08 billion in its latest funding to make its first electric sports car. LeEco's Founder and CEO Yueting Jia claimed that the funding is the largest ever in the automotive industry to date. The company has already unveiled the LeSEE, a concept sedan design intended to be completely self-driving.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:10 pm on 21 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Xiaomi launches Mi Band 2 in India at ₹1,999

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:03 pm on 21 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi on Wednesday launched its fitness tracker 'Mi 2 Band' in India at ₹1,999. The band features OLED display that shows users the time, steps taken and heart rate. It is water resistant and claims to last for 20 days on a single charge. It will be available in the country on September 27 through Xiaomi's website.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:03 pm on 21 Sep

Firm makes real-flame candle that can be lit via app

short by Vani Vivek / 05:01 pm on 21 Sep 2016,Wednesday

California-based startup LuDela has developed a 'smart' candle with a real flame for $99 which can be lit, extinguished and controlled via an app. Branded as the "world's safest" candle, it auto extinguishes when knocked over and also has a timer and child lock. The battery-powered candle also ensures that hot candle wax doesn't drip.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:01 pm on 21 Sep

read more at YouTube

Why Twitter chose the 140-character limit

short by Vani Vivek / 04:57 pm on 21 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Twitter was initially made to be used through cellphones, using the Short Message Service (SMS) in 2006. As the standard text message allowed 160 characters, Twitter restricted its character limit to 140 characters keeping 20 characters for a user’s name. This was done to make sure that a message was not split between two texts, Co-founder Jack Dorsey had revealed.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:57 pm on 21 Sep

read more at Google

Data leak reveals North Korea has just 28 websites

short by Vani Vivek / 04:56 pm on 21 Sep 2016,Wednesday

A data dump on Tuesday revealed a list of all 28 websites registered to North Korea’s official domain '.kp' after North Korea accidentally opened up a server that held the domain name information. The list includes the country's official news website Rodong, a travel website, a cooking website, and a site for North Korean email services provider Sili Bank.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:56 pm on 21 Sep

read more at The Guardian

Xiaomi launches air purifier in India at ₹9,999

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:15 pm on 21 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi on Wednesday entered India's home appliance market by launching its 'Mi Air Purifier 2' in the country at a starting price of ₹9,999. The replacement filter for the air purifier, which should ideally be changed within six months, will cost ₹2,499 per unit. It will go on sale on September 26 through the company's website.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:15 pm on 21 Sep

Man claims to hack iPhone passcode with $100 kit

short by Vani Vivek / 04:11 pm on 21 Sep 2016,Wednesday

A computer scientist from Cambridge University has demonstrated how iPhone passcode security can be hacked using a store-bought kit worth less than $100. He used a technique called NAND mirroring which eliminates the limit on password retry attempts by cloning the memory chip from an iPhone 5C. The hack can reportedly break into any iPhone model up to iPhone 6.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:11 pm on 21 Sep

read more at The Guardian

Google launches smart messaging app Allo

short by Vani Vivek / 03:47 pm on 21 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Google on Tuesday launched its smart messaging app Allo which is the first product to have the 'Google Assistant' which will rival Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana. Assistant can be used within Allo to look up movie times and local restaurants among other things. Google Allo, available for Android and iOS, also 'learns' from users' conversations and suggests 'smart' replies.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:47 pm on 21 Sep

read more at Google Blog

MIT device can detect emotions with wireless signals

short by Satyaki Das / 12:38 am on 21 Sep 2016,Wednesday

MIT researchers have created a device, called 'EQ-Radio', that can detect a person's emotions using only wireless radio signals. The device first transmits a signal and then analyses the signals reflected off the person's body to detect the emotions, with around 87% accuracy. As per an MIT professor, the device could be applied across entertainment, consumer advertising and healthcare industries.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:38 am on 21 Sep

read more at YouTube

Twitter's 1st homepage didn't feature the iconic bird

short by Vani Vivek / 10:15 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

The first homepage of micro-blogging platform Twitter, which launched in 2006, only featured a green 'Twttr' logo. The homepage said, "If you have a cell and can txt, you'll never be bored again...EVER!!" The company, which relaxed its 140-character limit on Monday, adopted the current blue bird as its official logo in 2012.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:15 pm on 20 Sep

read more at Google

SanDisk unveils the world's first 1 TB SD card

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:57 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

US-based flash memory products maker SanDisk on Tuesday unveiled a prototype of the world's first 1 TB SD memory card. The card's storage space is more than the storage space offered by the base configuration of most home computers. The company has not revealed the pricing or availability of the card yet.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:57 pm on 20 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Amsterdam to test self-driving boats in canals

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:28 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Amsterdam will test self-driving boats in the city's canals in a five-year pilot program starting next year. Besides carrying people and goods, the self-driving boat fleet will also track environmental conditions and comb the canals for waste. Floating stages or bridges that can be assembled and disassembled in hours, will also be introduced in the city.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:28 pm on 20 Sep

read more at Engadget

Twitter once trolled users to pay for extra character

short by Vani Vivek / 06:46 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

As an April Fools' Day prank in 2013, Twitter announced it would let users buy a single additional character, expanding their tweet to 141 characters. Twitter said that users would have to bid for the additional character which meant the more popular a character, the higher its price. The company on Monday relaxed its 140-character limit.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:46 pm on 20 Sep

read more at Twitter Blog

Student gets 15 mn United Airlines miles as bug bounty

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 05:21 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Georgia Tech University student Ryan Pickren has been rewarded 15 million free miles worth $300,000 for exposing security flaws after participating in the United Airlines' Bug Bounty Program. Pickren donated five million miles to Georgia Tech, which did not press charges against him for hacking their master calendar last year.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 05:21 pm on 20 Sep

read more at Google

Editor challenges Zuckerberg for debate on censorship

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:19 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Norwegian editor Espen Egil Hansen has accused social media giant Facebook's Co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg of avoiding debate on censorship and challenged him to publicly discuss the same. Hansen said, "Zuckerberg is de facto the most powerful editor-in-chief on the globe". Earlier this month, Hansen successfully made Facebook turn back its censorship of the famous “napalm girl” photograph.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:19 pm on 20 Sep

read more at The Guardian

Tesla sued by shareholders over $2.6 bn SolarCity deal

short by Vani Vivek / 04:54 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Electric car manufacturer Tesla has revealed that the company faces four lawsuits filed by its shareholders opposing Tesla's $2.6 billion acquisition of solar energy company SolarCity. The lawsuits allege that Tesla and SolarCity board members, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, breached their legal duties as they own shares in both the companies. Tesla said that the actions are "without merit".

short by Vani Vivek / 04:54 pm on 20 Sep

read more at Autoblog

Apple files patent for a paper bag

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:53 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Technology giant Apple has filed a patent application for what appears to be a regular paper bag with handles. The patent application defines the bag as "a retail paper bag, comprising: a bag container formed of white paper with at least 60% post-consumer content.” Apple says the bag will compensate for the reduced strength and increased susceptibility to tearing.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:53 pm on 20 Sep

read more at Google

Google launches offline app to plan trips

short by Vani Vivek / 04:26 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Google on Monday introduced its Google Trips app to help users plan vacations by providing data from Maps and contributions from other travellers, that can also be accessed without internet. The app keeps track of flight and hotel reservations, places of interest, tourist attractions. For 200 global cities like Barcelona, Google offers a compilation of the most popular daily itineraries.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:26 pm on 20 Sep

read more at YouTube

Kerala boy gets ₹10.7L for finding Facebook bug

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:16 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Kerala boy Arun S Kumar has received ₹10.7 lakh ($16,000) in bounty after finding a bug in Facebook's code. An engineering student, Kumar found a bug that could help intruders harm the pages owned by other people in a new platform introduced by Facebook to help businesses. Facebook permanently fixed the bug within six hours after it was acknowledged.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:16 pm on 20 Sep

read more at YouTube

Param-Ishan supercomputer unveiled at IIT Guwahati

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:56 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

In a push to research and innovation, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday unveiled the ‘Param-Ishan’ supercomputer at IIT Guwahati. The supercomputer has a power of 250 teraflops and a capacity of 300 terabytes. Calling IITs “modern temples for development”, Javadekar said that a nation’s potential for growth is evaluated on the quality of its research and development.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:56 pm on 20 Sep

read more at India Today

Motorola launches Moto E3 Power smartphone at ₹7,999

short by Vani Vivek / 02:49 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

American smartphone manufacturer Motorola on Monday launched its budget smartphone, Moto E3 Power in India priced at ₹7,999. The Android Marshmallow-powered phone has a 5-inch display with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal memory. Moto E3 Power, which is available exclusively on Flipkart, has a fast charger that provides five hours of battery life in 15 minutes of charging.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:49 pm on 20 Sep

Google to unveil new smartphones on Oct 4: Report

short by Vani Vivek / 02:45 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Technology giant Google will reportedly unveil its latest smartphones at its event in San Francisco on October 4, 2016. Google has launched a new website, 'Made by Google' and released a teaser video hinting at the new phone. The flagship devices are likely to be branded as 'Pixel' rather than 'Nexus', suggesting that they might be entirely made by Google.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:45 pm on 20 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Obama says self-driving cars could change lives

short by Vani Vivek / 02:44 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

US President Barack Obama has said that self-driving cars could change the lives of senior citizens and people with disabilities for whom driving is difficult. "Automated vehicles have the potential to save tens of thousands of lives each year", he added. Obama's administration has also announced a 15-point safety checklist to be followed by manufacturers of self-driving vehicles.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:44 pm on 20 Sep

read more at The Verge

WhatsApp beta allows tagging group chat members

short by Vani Vivek / 02:42 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

WhatsApp has introduced a beta version for Android and iOS that lets users tag other participants in group chats using the "@" symbol. Tagged group members will receive a notification even if they have muted the conversation. WhatsApp is reportedly also working on rolling out GIF support for the messaging app.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:42 pm on 20 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Uber rival Grab raises $750 mn led by SoftBank

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:13 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Ride-hailing app Uber's arch rival in Southeast Asia, Grab has raised $750 million in Series F round of funding led by existing investor SoftBank. The fresh funding has valued the startup at $3 billion. The funding is the largest raise for a technology startup in Southeast Asia to date.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:13 pm on 20 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

China's richest man's son buys 8 iPhone 7s for his dog

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:44 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

China's richest man Wang Jianlin's son Wang Sicong has bought eight iPhone 7 handsets for his dog Coco, an Alaskan Malamute. Pictures of Coco posing next to a stack of boxes of iPhone 7 were shared on to the dog's social media account on Weibo. Apple's latest smartphone iPhone 7 costs approximately $1,050 a unit in China.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:44 pm on 20 Sep

read more at Daily Mail

Twitter firing half of its staff at Bengaluru office

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:28 pm on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Micro-blogging site Twitter is laying off half of the staff at the company's development centre in Bengaluru. The move comes after Twitter decided to stop the global engineering work at its Bengaluru centre. Twitter India currently has offices in three locations in India namely Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:28 pm on 20 Sep

read more at YourStory

Twitter relaxes 140-character limit

short by Arjun Bhatia / 09:37 am on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Twitter on Monday announced that it is rolling out changes to its 140-character limit, which were first announced in May this year. @Usernames in replies and media attachments like photos, GIFs, videos and polls will no longer count as characters. The micro-blogging platform will also let users Quote Tweet tweets without counting them as characters.

short by Arjun Bhatia / 09:37 am on 20 Sep

read more at Twitter

UK to build 'great firewall of Britain'

short by Parichit Mainra / 04:00 am on 20 Sep 2016,Tuesday

The UK is planning to create a firewall which will protect companies against malicious hackers. Privacy groups have expressed concern saying the move could deny freedom of speech as the government will designate sites they disapprove of as “malware”. Notably, about 200 hacking incidents are detected in the UK every month, two times the number reported a year ago.

short by Parichit Mainra / 04:00 am on 20 Sep

read more at The Guardian

Nokia completes field tests of 1Tbps fibre optic cable

short by Satyaki Das / 11:42 pm on 19 Sep 2016,Monday

Nokia Bell Labs in collaboration with Deutsche Telekom and the Technical University of Munich have demonstrated 1 Tbps fibre optic cable data speeds in a field trial with "real conditions," including varying channel conditions and traffic levels. Using a new modulation technique called 'Probabilistic Constellation Shaping', researchers were able to make transmissions reach up to 30% further.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:42 pm on 19 Sep

read more at Engadget

Hasselblad unveils modular 75 MP camera concept

short by Satyaki Das / 10:40 pm on 19 Sep 2016,Monday

Swedish camera maker Hasselblad has unveiled the V1D 4116, its modular 75-megapixel concept camera. Dubbed a "black box," the solid aluminium body-camera has customisation options such as displays, viewfinders, and holders for the top and back, while the sides can be fitted with controls or grips. Hasselblad declined to provide further details like launch date or pricing.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:40 pm on 19 Sep

read more at The Verge

Speaker system made from Porsche 911 parts

short by Satyaki Das / 10:38 pm on 19 Sep 2016,Monday

German automaker Porsche's subsidiary Porsche Design has made a speaker out of a Porsche 911 parts. The 911 Soundbar, made out of a GT3's muffler system, replaces woofers with exhaust pipes, which deliver sound at a maximum volume of 99 decibels. Priced at $3,500, the limited edition speakers also feature a 2.1 virtual surround system and wireless, lossless audio transmission.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:38 pm on 19 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

First digital smiley was used to indicate sarcasm

short by Vani Vivek / 09:24 pm on 19 Sep 2016,Monday

The digital smiley was first used 34 years ago on September 19, 1982 to avoid confusion when people used sarcasm online. Scott Fahlman, a faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University proposed that ":-)" read sideways could be used as 'joke markers' on the online bulletin board. He reportedly also suggested emoticons for wink face, Abraham Lincoln, and Santa Claus.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:24 pm on 19 Sep

read more at Phys

Google may face Indonesia tax bill of $400 mn for 2015

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 07:14 pm on 19 Sep 2016,Monday

Indonesia plans to investigate Google's tax record for the past five years and the search giant may face over $400 million in tax bills for 2015 alone if found in violation, an official said. Google Indonesia has paid less than 0.1% of the amount owed in Indonesian taxes last year while arguing it just did tax planning, the official added.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 07:14 pm on 19 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

Amazon’s lead is over, says Oracle Co-founder

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:48 pm on 19 Sep 2016,Monday

Oracle Co-founder Larry Ellison on Sunday said, "Amazon’s lead is over. Amazon’s going to have serious competition going forward". Ellison made the statement as Oracle unveiled its second generation of cloud infrastructure for third-party developers to run their applications in Oracle data centres. Oracle's latest product claims over 10 times the input-output capacity of Amazon Web Services (AWS).

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:48 pm on 19 Sep

read more at VentureBeat

BSE, Twitter partner to provide live market updates

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 06:11 pm on 19 Sep 2016,Monday

Asia's oldest stock exchange Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has tied up with Twitter to provide live updates of stock prices on the micro-blogging site. Twitter has activated four features for people to follow the stocks - hourly Tweets, autoresponder Tweets, Direct Messages for opening and closing stock prices, and a live update that gives real-time stock prices.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 06:11 pm on 19 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

Google, Microsoft to block Indian gender-selection ads

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:16 pm on 19 Sep 2016,Monday

Google, Microsoft and Yahoo will start blocking advertisements of services that help determine a baby’s sex before birth in India, the Health Ministry told the Supreme Court. The companies had earlier argued that banning the keywords would also block non-promotional content like research reports and news articles. According to 2011 census, there were 943 females per 1,000 males in India.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:16 pm on 19 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Wearable allows playing Pokémon Go without phone

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:52 pm on 19 Sep 2016,Monday

Nintendo has launched a $35 wearable called 'Pokémon Go Plus' which pairs with the user's smartphone and allows playing mobile game Pokémon Go without the phone. The wearable vibrates and lights up in different colours if a player is near a PokéStop or a Pokémon. The wearable also supports additional features like tracking steps for hatching eggs.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:52 pm on 19 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Xiaomi to launch Mi 5s smartphone on Sept 27

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:22 pm on 19 Sep 2016,Monday

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi will be launching its Mi 5s smartphone on September 27 in China. Xiaomi has already sent out invites for the event where it will be showing the phone for the first time. The phone will come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, 6 GB RAM and possibly 256 GB of internal storage with a 5.15-inch display screen.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:22 pm on 19 Sep

read more at India Today

Indian ed-tech market to touch $2.5 bn in 2016: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:18 pm on 19 Sep 2016,Monday

The Indian educational technology market is set to touch $2.5 billion-mark this year, according to a report by research firm RedSeer Consulting. The report further states that the market is poised to grow at 15% over the next three years. Some notable funding rounds in the ed-tech space this year include ₹332 crore by Byju's and ₹4.5 crore by TopRankers.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:18 pm on 19 Sep

read more at VCCircle

Oracle buys Indian-origin Founders' startup Palerra

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:06 pm on 19 Sep 2016,Monday

Computer technology major Oracle has acquired US-based cloud security startup founded by Indian-origin entrepreneurs - Rohit Gupta and Ganesh Kirti. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 2013, Palerra raised $25 million from investors including Norwest Venture Partners and August Capital. Oracle has made over 100 acquisitions to date, but not many in the area of security.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:06 pm on 19 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Dog PC developed to let dogs play games

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:14 pm on 19 Sep 2016,Monday

Hong Kong-based technology company Tesla has made a computer for dogs called the 'Dog PC'. The computer features a touchscreen tablet that lets dogs play games like Fruit Ninja with their paws. It also features a built-in electronic food box, a speaker, and a camera, to let the dog owners keep a watch on their pets from distant places.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:14 pm on 19 Sep

read more at YouTube

Some iPhone 7 owners report of hissing noise

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:21 pm on 19 Sep 2016,Monday

Some early owners of Apple's latest iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus smartphones have reported of hissing noise produced by the devices when they are subjected to a heavy processor workload. The noise has been reported to be coming from the back of the smartphone. Apple has declined to comment on the reports.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:21 pm on 19 Sep

read more at Engadget

Most Lyft rides to be self-driving in 5 yrs: President

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:19 pm on 19 Sep 2016,Monday

US ride-hailing giant Lyft's Co-founder and President John Zimmer in a blog post on Sunday said, "Within five years a fully autonomous fleet of cars will provide majority of Lyft rides across the country". Zimmer added, "By 2025, private car ownership will all-but end in major US cities". Notably, Lyft rival Uber recently launched the first fleet of self-driving cars.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:19 pm on 19 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Samsung to resume Note 7 sales in S Korea on Sept 28

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:25 pm on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

South Korean electronics maker Samsung will resume selling its latest Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in its home market from September 28. Earlier this month, the company issued a recall of the smartphone from 10 markets over reports of overheating of batteries. Analysts believe that the recall will cost Samsung up to $5 billion in revenue this year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:25 pm on 18 Sep

Chrome for Android to allow background play for videos

short by Vani Vivek / 06:08 pm on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

Google has released a beta version of its Chrome web browser for Android that lets users play videos even while switching apps on their phone. A drop-down notification will give users basic play/pause controls while browsing a different window. While Google has not said when the Chrome update will roll out, the beta is available for download on Google Play.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:08 pm on 18 Sep

read more at Engadget

Reliance launches 4G portable hotspot at ₹1,999

short by Vani Vivek / 06:05 pm on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

Reliance has launched a portable 4G wireless hotspot device called 'JioFi', priced at ₹1,999. JioFi can be connected to 10 devices through Wi-Fi and one device through USB. Reliance has claimed that the device, which has an OLED display to provide data regarding network strength and Wi-Fi status, can last for up to six hours on a single charge.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:05 pm on 18 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

Programmer releases OS update for 1977 Apple computer

short by Vani Vivek / 06:03 pm on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

Software Developer John Brooks has released a private update to the operating system of the Apple II computer which was launched in 1977. The last software update for the computer was released by Apple 23 years ago. Reportedly, Apple sold over 5 million units of Apple II before it was discontinued in 1993.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:03 pm on 18 Sep

read more at Google

Half of US smartphone users download zero apps a month

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:39 pm on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

Half of all the smartphone users in the US download zero apps in a month, according to a report by American analytics company comScore. Among the other half users who download apps, a person downloads 3.5 apps a month, the report added. It further said that 13% users accounted for over half of all download activity in a given month.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:39 pm on 18 Sep

read more at Recode

Palo Alto rejects Zuckerberg's bid to rebuild property

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:38 pm on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

Palo Alto has rejected Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's plan to demolish and rebuild his four homes neighbouring his primary residence. It noted that the rebuild will create a giant compound and reduce the city's housing stock. The homes were bought by Zuckerberg for $30 million in 2013 after a developer threatened to build a house with views into his bedroom.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:38 pm on 18 Sep

read more at Daily Mail

'SpaceX Colonial Transporter can go beyond Mars'

short by Satyaki Das / 03:54 pm on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

Elon Musk-owned aerospace company SpaceX's 'Mars Colonial Transporter' (MCT) can go "well beyond Mars", according to a tweet by the entrepreneur. The MCT is SpaceX’s personnel transport craft, designed to be used with SpaceX's Raptor rocket engine to transport the first humans to Mars, with an unmanned pilot launch planned for 2022, and the first manned flight slated for 2024.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:54 pm on 18 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Musk good model of how to use Twitter well: CEO Dorsey

short by Vani Vivek / 03:23 pm on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey while recently addressing a digital marketing show in Germany said that Tesla Co-founder Elon Musk is a "good model of how to use [Twitter] well". Dorsey explained that Musk is constantly on Twitter, holds conversations, and also shares how he is feeling. "He's very open and using it to correct press," Dorsey added.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:23 pm on 18 Sep

read more at Google

Startup makes AR system to play games while climbing

short by Vani Vivek / 03:13 pm on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

A Finnish startup has developed an Augmented Reality (AR) system that turns climbing walls into interactive surfaces, enabling users to play games like 'Whack-A-Bat' and 'Climball'. The AR setup monitors users as they move across a climbing wall through a depth sensor, computer vision technology and a video projector. The mobile setup can be installed on existing climbing walls.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:13 pm on 18 Sep

read more at YouTube

Twitter sued for misleading investors about growth

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:11 pm on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

A shareholder has sued Twitter over claims of misleading the investors regarding growth prospects including user count and engagement, in November 2014. Twitter had promised an increase in the monthly active users to 550 million in the “intermediate” term and over a billion in the “longer term.” However, Twitter had 313 million monthly active users as of June 30, 2016.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:11 pm on 18 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Tokyo Game Show displays VR headset-linked girlfriend

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 02:57 pm on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

Organisers were reportedly dismayed when visitors at the annual Tokyo Game Show began fondling a 'girlfriend' mannequin connected to a Virtual Reality (VR) headset. The VR headset allowed users to feel as if they were touching the character in the game, as sensors built into the mannequin detected touch and caused the in-game avatar to react.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 02:57 pm on 18 Sep

read more at Reuters

Virgin Atlantic turns waste gases into jet fuel

short by Satyaki Das / 02:46 pm on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

British airline Virgin Atlantic, in collaboration with Illinois-based green technology firm LanzaTech, has synthesised more than 5,600 litres of jet fuel derived from industrial gases released by steel mills. Using a fermentation process, the team turned the potential pollutant gases into a low-carbon ethanol which could produce up to 65% less emissions as compared to conventional jet fuel.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:46 pm on 18 Sep

read more at Engadget

Mobile game 'Jrump' based on Donald Trump launched

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:29 pm on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

A new mobile game based on US Presidential election candidate Donald Trump called 'Jrump' has been launched, with the tagline 'Make the galaxy great again'. It requires players to build a wall on which Trump jumps to reach the galaxy to "make it better". The game features Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders as Trump's obstacles.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:29 pm on 18 Sep

read more at YouTube

Women make smart device to help build good habits

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:49 pm on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

San Francisco-based entrepreneurs Kayla Matheus and Laura Day have developed a smart device called 'Moti', which helps users to build good habits like exercise and drinking more water. The device keeps reminding the user to continue the good habit and gets angry or sad when the user breaks the routine. On completing the task, the device celebrates by emitting light.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:49 pm on 18 Sep

read more at YouTube

Adult film company makes first VR film for women

short by Satyaki Das / 01:11 pm on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

Adult entertainment website Sssh.com has entered the Virtual Reality space by releasing its first VR film catering to women. Titled 'Empowering Eva', the film can be viewed on any smartphone or tablet browser and doesn't require VR headsets. "The new technology is a very dynamic format which lends itself to deliciously creative storytelling," said Sssh.com owner and director Angie Rowntree.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:11 pm on 18 Sep

read more at VentureBeat

Digital key-copying startup raises $15 mn

short by Satyaki Das / 12:52 pm on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

New York-based KeyMe, which lets users make digital copies of physical keys in under 30 seconds, has raised $15 million in Series C funding round, bringing the company's total funding to around $50 million. Founded in 2012, KeyMe enables customers to save their keys in the cloud, and recover a copy securely using fingerprint scanning at any of its kiosks.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:52 pm on 18 Sep

read more at VentureBeat

Startup provides service to rid office paperwork

short by Satyaki Das / 11:51 am on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

A California-based startup, Pulpstream aims to get rid of paper-based forms at businesses, replacing them with mobile-based digital processes. The forms can be customised to a variety of businesses, and can be created by employees themselves , requiring no programming expertise to build. According to CEO Pankaj Malviya, this will enable professionals in the field to efficiently collect data.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:51 am on 18 Sep

read more at VentureBeat

Google acquires location-based analytics firm

short by Satyaki Das / 10:30 am on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

Google has acquired Urban Engines, a location-based analytics service provider for urban planning. Started in 2014 by former Google employees, Urban Engines uses big data and spatial analytics to assess urban mobility, traffic congestion and improve user commutes in cities and surrounding areas. The acquisition, financial terms of which remain undisclosed, will be integrated with Google Maps.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:30 am on 18 Sep

read more at VentureBeat

Startup makes online ecosystem for bots

short by Satyaki Das / 10:01 am on 18 Sep 2016,Sunday

An Armenian startup, Bazillion Beings is making a platform for bots called 'independent online life forms' or 'lifos' that live, learn and evolve online. The 'lifos' interact with humans and other bots, offering various services like curated content, app recommendations, multiplayer gaming and chat. They use machine learning to create variations of themselves, similar to a real-world ecosystem.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:01 am on 18 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Apple CEO Tim Cook wishes PM Modi on his birthday

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:27 pm on 17 Sep 2016,Saturday

Technology giant Apple's CEO Tim Cook on Saturday took to Twitter to wish Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 66th birthday. Replying to Cook's tweet, Modi tweeted, "Fully agree with you! And thank you so much for your good wishes". Earlier this year in May, Cook had met Modi during his maiden visit to India.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:27 pm on 17 Sep

read more at Twitter

Microsoft to shut down Skype's UK office

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:35 pm on 17 Sep 2016,Saturday

Technology major Microsoft is reportedly shutting down Skype's office in the United Kingdom. Following the shutdown, around 400 jobs will be lost at the company's London headquarters. Microsoft said that the move is a part of the company's decision to shift all the London-based employees to its base in Paddington.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:35 pm on 17 Sep

read more at The Guardian

Man sues Samsung after Note 7 explodes in his pants

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:26 pm on 17 Sep 2016,Saturday

A 28-year-old Florida-based man on Friday sued Samsung after the company's Galaxy Note 7 smartphone exploded in the front pocket of his pants. The man suffered severe burns on his right leg and burnt his left thumb while trying to remove the phone from his pants. A day earlier, Samsung had recalled the smartphone in the US following batteries' overheating.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:26 pm on 17 Sep

read more at Reuters

US police use robot to grab gun from robbery suspect

short by Vani Vivek / 05:07 pm on 17 Sep 2016,Saturday

The Los Angeles police successfully used a remote-controlled bomb squad robot to disarm a gunman suspected of attempted murder, assault, and robbery. The standoff between the suspect and the police, which lasted for over six hours, ended without a single shot fired. "We didn't have to risk a deputy's life to disarm a very violent man," said an official.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:07 pm on 17 Sep

read more at Engadget

21st Century Fox sues Netflix for poaching employees

short by Vani Vivek / 04:56 pm on 17 Sep 2016,Saturday

Rupert Murdoch-founded mass media corporation 21st Century Fox on Friday filed a lawsuit against video-streaming platform Netflix, accusing the company of illegally hiring two of its executives who were under contract. Fox claims Netflix ran "a brazen campaign to unlawfully target...valuable Fox executives". Under the lawsuit, Fox is seeking compensatory and punitive damages from Netflix.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:56 pm on 17 Sep

read more at Google

Tesla making world's largest lithium-ion power storage

short by Vani Vivek / 04:05 pm on 17 Sep 2016,Saturday

Electric car company Tesla is developing the world's largest lithium-ion battery storage system to help power Southern California. The 'Powerpack' system will be able to power more than 2,500 households for a day or charge 1,000 Tesla vehicles. It will charge using electricity from the grid during off-peak hours and deliver electricity during peak hours, taking strain off the generators.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:05 pm on 17 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Solar-powered cover to charge e-readers made

short by Vani Vivek / 04:01 pm on 17 Sep 2016,Saturday

French e-reader making startup Bookeen has launched solar-powered covers to let users charge the company's e-readers. The startup says the cover can power Bookeen's 8-inch Cybook Ocean e-reader for 30 minutes after an hour of charging in the sunlight. The solar-powered cover is priced at about $67, while the e-reader costs approximately $213.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:01 pm on 17 Sep

read more at The Verge

Apple iPhone 7 Plus model outselling iPhone 7: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:51 pm on 17 Sep 2016,Saturday

Technology giant Apple's latest smartphone iPhone 7's larger model iPhone 7 Plus reportedly outsold its smaller counterpart during the first 48 hours of pre-orders. While 55% buyers pre-ordered the iPhone 7 Plus model, 45% pre-orders were received for the smaller iPhone 7 version. This is the first time that the iPhone's larger model has outsold the smaller version.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:51 pm on 17 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Action has been taken: Apple on workplace sexism claim

short by Vani Vivek / 02:32 pm on 17 Sep 2016,Saturday

Following reports of female Apple employees complaining of sexism in the workplace causing a "toxic" environment, Apple Worldwide Human Resources VP Denise Young Smith has said, “commensurate actions have been taken.” The complaints included reports of rape and period jokes exchanged between the company's male employees. As per Apple's diversity report, women comprise 32% of its global workforce.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:32 pm on 17 Sep

read more at Recode

New self-driving car 'smiles' at pedestrians

short by Vani Vivek / 02:04 pm on 17 Sep 2016,Saturday

Swedish technology firm Semcon has developed a concept for a 'smiling' self-driving car that lets pedestrians know when it is safe to cross the street. When the car's sensors detect a pedestrian, a signal is sent to its front-facing display that lights up like a smile, confirming that the car will stop at a safe distance.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:04 pm on 17 Sep

read more at YouTube

100 mini robots line-up in queue to buy iPhone 7

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:44 pm on 16 Sep 2016,Friday

New Zealand-based Apple carrier Spark used 100 mini robots instead of humans to line-up in the queue to buy the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus at an Apple Store. The 100 Alpha 1 robots were specially purchased by the company for the purpose. The humans assigned to each robot had the option of watching a live-stream of the queue.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:44 pm on 16 Sep

read more at Video

Pornhub and YouPorn banned in Russia

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 07:23 pm on 16 Sep 2016,Friday

Russian state watchdog Roskomnadzor recently blocked adult websites Pornhub and YouPorn in the country. The watchdog also said its 2015 post about meeting "someone in real life" after a previous Pornhub ban continued to be "relevant" in this case. Meanwhile, Pornhub tweeted to Roskomnadzor, "if we give you guys a Pornhub Premium account, will you un ban Pornhub in Russia?"

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 07:23 pm on 16 Sep

read more at Google

Woman brings Steve Jobs pillow to camp at Apple Store

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:19 pm on 16 Sep 2016,Friday

Apple fan Ayano Tominaga bought a body pillow bearing Steve Jobs' picture to a camp outside an Apple store in Tokyo. Tominaga had been sleeping outside the store with the pillow for two days, waiting to buy the iPhone 7. She also bought the pillow during iPhone 6 launch in 2014, where she spent nine days outside the store.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:19 pm on 16 Sep

read more at Mashable

Apple ordered to pay $118 mn for underreporting income

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:34 pm on 16 Sep 2016,Friday

Apple's Japan unit has been reportedly ordered to pay $118 million in taxes to local authorities after the company underreported income. Apple, which sends part of its Japan profits to another Apple unit in Ireland, had not been paying tax on those earnings. Earlier in August, Apple was ordered by the EU to pay $14.6 billion in taxes to Ireland.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:34 pm on 16 Sep

read more at Reuters

Cows should dress more modestly, tweets user

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:56 pm on 16 Sep 2016,Friday

Reacting to Google blurring a cow's face in Street View, a user tweeted, "Cows should dress more modestly so they don't have to have their faces blurred in shame". Another user tweeted, "It's a cowspiracy". A user also tweeted, "Thank goodness the cow won't sue Google". "Anonymoos?" and "Very amoosing" read other tweets.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:56 pm on 16 Sep

read more at Tweet Collection

Google blurs cow's face to protect privacy

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:16 pm on 16 Sep 2016,Friday

A recently surfaced image on Twitter shows that search giant Google blurred the face of a cow in Cambridge to protect the privacy for images on its Street View in 2015. Responding to the image, a Google spokesperson said, "Our automatic face-blurring technology has been a little overzealous." The image has been retweeted over 10,000 times, followed by cow jokes.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:16 pm on 16 Sep

read more at The Guardian

Raymond to replace 10,000 workers with robots

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:19 pm on 16 Sep 2016,Friday

Over 90-year-old apparel major Raymond is planning to cut around 10,000 jobs by introducing robots at its 16 manufacturing centres across the country in the next three years. Explaining the move, Raymond's CEO Sanjay Behl said, "One robot could replace around 100 workers. While it is happening in China at present, it will also happen in India."

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:19 pm on 16 Sep

read more at NextBigWhat

Teen sues parents for posting childhood pics on FB

short by Vani Vivek / 03:01 pm on 16 Sep 2016,Friday

An 18-year-old Austrian woman has sued her parents for posting "embarrassing" childhood photos of her on Facebook without consent. "They knew no shame and no limit," the woman said, claiming that her parents have shared over 500 "embarrassing and intimate" pictures. The woman's father has reportedly argued that he has the right to publish the images since he took them.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:01 pm on 16 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Torrents download website TorrentHound shuts down

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:56 pm on 16 Sep 2016,Friday

After being active for nearly a decade, torrents download platform TorrentHound's Founder on Thursday announced to voluntarily shut down the website. "It's a combination of less traffic, less revenue and our bills piling up. Then add on constantly getting bugged by anti-piracy agents," said the Founder. Earlier this year, torrent sites KickassTorrents and Torrentz were also shut down.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:56 pm on 16 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Getting fired from Apple was the best thing: Jobs

short by Sumedha Sehra / 02:51 pm on 16 Sep 2016,Friday

Steve Jobs had once revealed in an interview that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to him. The Board decided to fire Jobs after a rift between him and the then CEO John Sculley. Interestingly, he was fired on September 16, 1985, and was hired back the same day, 12 years later.

short by Sumedha Sehra / 02:51 pm on 16 Sep

read more at YouTube

Samsung formally recalls Galaxy Note 7 in the US

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:36 pm on 16 Sep 2016,Friday

South Korean electronics major Samsung on Thursday issued a formal recall of its latest Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in the US after 92 reported cases of overheated batteries. The company confirmed 26 reports of burns and 55 reports of property damage, including fires in cars and a garage. The smartphone's replacements will arrive by September 21 in the country.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:36 pm on 16 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Microsoft trashes Google's Chrome battery life claims

short by Vani Vivek / 02:33 pm on 16 Sep 2016,Friday

Microsoft on Thursday released a new video comparing the battery lives of laptops running Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox, and Opera web browsers to demonstrate the Windows 10 anniversary update. The video shows Microsoft Edge lasting 45% longer than Chrome's latest version. Last week, Google had posted a video claiming that Chrome's latest update would give its users additional runtime.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:33 pm on 16 Sep

read more at YouTube

Lenovo's 'Skip the Sevens' ad trolls Samsung, Apple

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:32 pm on 16 Sep 2016,Friday

Chinese smartphone maker Lenovo has released an advertisement with the tagline 'Skip the Sevens' to troll Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and Apple iPhone 7. In the advertisement, Lenovo calls a set of iPhone loyalists and demonstrates snap-on cases called 'Moto Mods' for Moto Z. The cases can add a projector, a speaker or an extra battery to the smartphone.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:32 pm on 16 Sep

read more at YouTube

Google needs 5000 times more code than space shuttle

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:30 pm on 16 Sep 2016,Friday

Search giant Google runs on two billion lines of code, which is 5,000 times more than the code required by one of the earliest space shuttles launched in 1982, which required 400,000 lines of code. While social media giant Facebook requires 61 million lines of code to run, Android operating system needs 1.18 million lines of code.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:30 pm on 16 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Apple bans 'butt' iMessage search over animated porn

short by Vani Vivek / 02:27 pm on 16 Sep 2016,Friday

Apple on Thursday disabled the option to search for "butt" GIFs in iMessage after it was discovered that the first result was a sexualised image from the animated series 'My Little Pony'. Search results for words like "breasts", "ass", "sex" and "porn" are already blocked from the messaging service. GIF search is a default part of the latest iMessage update.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:27 pm on 16 Sep

read more at The Verge

IIT-M software to track vehicular pollution

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 11:37 am on 16 Sep 2016,Friday

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras have developed an exhaust emission prediction model that can reportedly measure pollution from vehicles in real-time. Through this, the software-based model can assist policy makers in managing grid-wise traffic flow, indicate roads that register the highest pollution levels, and help manage urban air quality, developer Rohit Jaykumar said.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 11:37 am on 16 Sep

read more at The New Indian Express

Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos becomes world's 3rd richest

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:59 am on 16 Sep 2016,Friday

Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos has once again overtaken Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett to become the world's third-richest person with a net worth of $66.5 billion. Bezos went ahead of Buffett due to the Wells Fargo’s fake account scandal, which pushed Buffett’s net worth down to $66 billion. Buffett and his company Berkshire Hathaway own shares in Wells Fargo.

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:59 am on 16 Sep

read more at Forbes

'Can buy 3 Coldplay tickets for the price of iPhone 7'

short by Dishant Sharma / 11:08 pm on 15 Sep 2016,Thursday

Reacting to iPhone 7's India prices, a user tweeted, "3 Coldplay tickets you can buy for the price of a new iPhone 7". Other tweets included "iPhone 7 in India price:75k Other option Bangkok ticket:23k Stay:10k Massage:3K Savings:25k Come back to India&buy a Xiaomi" and "The iPhone7 is water resistant just in case you see the price and start crying".

short by Dishant Sharma / 11:08 pm on 15 Sep

read more at Tweet Collection

'India's online population to touch 500mn by 2020'

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 08:58 pm on 15 Sep 2016,Thursday

India's online population will touch the 500 million mark by 2020, with a majority of them being local language users, Google’s Asia-Pacific Language Head Richa Chitranshi said. Internet outreach in India has increased primarily due to the availability of affordable smartphones and cheap data packs, she added. Further, she stated that presently 65% Indians access the internet using their phones.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 08:58 pm on 15 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

Apple's iPhone 7 prices go up to ₹92,000

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:37 pm on 15 Sep 2016,Thursday

Tech giant Apple on Thursday announced the price of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in India on its official website. The 32GB iPhone 7 is priced at ₹60,000, the 128GB at ₹70,000, and the 256GB at ₹80,000. On the other hand, the 32GB iPhone 7 Plus is priced at ₹72,000, 128GB at ₹82,000, and 256GB at ₹92,000.

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:37 pm on 15 Sep

Tim Cook explains why AirPods won't slip out of ears

short by Vani Vivek / 07:26 pm on 15 Sep 2016,Thursday

Apple CEO Tim Cook has explained why the company's upcoming wireless AirPods will not fall out of users' ears. Cook said that wires apply weight on earbuds, causing them to slip, while the $159 AirPods won't face this issue. He shared that he had "been on treadmills, walking, doing all the things (he'd) normally do", without his AirPods falling out.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:26 pm on 15 Sep

read more at YouTube

Google invites entries for 'Doodle 4 Google' contest

short by Vani Vivek / 06:40 pm on 15 Sep 2016,Thursday

Google India has launched the eighth edition of its 'Doodle 4 Google' contest, inviting students from classes 1 to 10 to send their artwork for a chance to have it featured on the Google homepage. The doodle must incorporate "Google" with the theme, "If I could teach anyone anything, it would be…" The last date for entries is October 21.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:40 pm on 15 Sep

read more at The Guardian

Tesla sues man for pretending to be Elon Musk

short by Vani Vivek / 05:24 pm on 15 Sep 2016,Thursday

Tesla has sued a man for pretending to be CEO Elon Musk to procure non-public data about the automaker. Tesla CFO Jason Wheeler received an email signed with Musk's name requesting detailed information about the company's second quarter results. Tesla believes that the email was from an oil industry executive trying to undermine Tesla's push for energy-efficient transportation alternatives.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:24 pm on 15 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Apple opens pre-registration for iPhone 7 in India

short by Vani Vivek / 04:05 pm on 15 Sep 2016,Thursday

Technology giant Apple has opened pre-registration for its latest smartphones iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in India through its retail partners. The phones will launch in India on October 7, with the price for the 32 GB variant starting at ₹60,000. Apple on Wednesday revealed that the initial stock of the iPhone 7 Plus has already sold out globally.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:05 pm on 15 Sep

read more at India Today

Sex toy maker sued for tracking usage data

short by Vani Vivek / 04:04 pm on 15 Sep 2016,Thursday

An American woman has filed a class action lawsuit against sex toy maker Standard Innovation for tracking activity data like the intensity, mode and time of use of their 'We-Vibe 4 Plus' vibrators. The woman claims the company shows a "wholesale disregard" for privacy rights. A hacking duo had earlier revealed concerns related to the vibrator's privacy at a conference.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:04 pm on 15 Sep

read more at Engadget

Google to resize emails to fit phone screens

short by Vani Vivek / 03:53 pm on 15 Sep 2016,Thursday

Technology giant Google has announced that it will be rolling out support for responsive emails this month, enabling email content to adapt to fit screens of all sizes. Claiming that most emails are generally formatted for desktop screens, Google has said it will intuitively enlarge text, links, and buttons to make reading and tapping easier on a smaller screen.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:53 pm on 15 Sep

read more at Google Blog

I cover cameras with tape: FBI Director

short by Vani Vivek / 03:46 pm on 15 Sep 2016,Thursday

FBI Director James Comey in an interview admitted that he covers his cameras at home with tape despite getting mocked for it, adding that it was a "sensible thing" people should be doing. “I think people ought to be taking personal responsibility for their own safety...It’s not crazy that the FBI Director cares about personal security as well,” Comey said.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:46 pm on 15 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Apple cuts iPhone 6s, 6s Plus prices by up to ₹22,000

short by Vani Vivek / 03:30 pm on 15 Sep 2016,Thursday

Ahead of the launch of its iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus smartphones in India, Apple has reportedly slashed the prices of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus by up to ₹22,000. The 128 GB variants of these models will now cost ₹60,000 and ₹70,000 respectively, while the 64 GB iPhone SE has been reduced to ₹44,000.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:30 pm on 15 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

Google launches $350,000 contest to hack Nexus devices

short by Vani Vivek / 03:20 pm on 15 Sep 2016,Thursday

Google has launched a bug bounty program called 'Project Zero Prize', offering a total cash prize of $350,000 to participants who successfully hack its Nexus 5X and 6P flagships. Knowing only the devices' phone number and associated email address, the participants should be able to remotely open an email or a text message through their exploits.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:20 pm on 15 Sep

read more at Engadget

Videocon launches smartphone with 'panic button'

short by Vani Vivek / 03:04 pm on 15 Sep 2016,Thursday

Videocon has launched its 'Cube 3' smartphone, priced at ₹8,490 with a built-in SOS application that customises the phone's power button to act as a panic button when pressed thrice. The app has features like 'Walk with Me' that send GPS location of users to emergency contacts at regular intervals. Videocon has said future devices will also have this feature.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:04 pm on 15 Sep

read more at YouTube

Uber releases video showcasing its self-driving taxis

short by Vani Vivek / 02:59 pm on 15 Sep 2016,Thursday

Ride-hailing startup Uber has released a video titled 'Pittsburgh, your self-driving Uber is arriving now', showing one of its self-driving taxis driving passengers in the US city. The self-driving cars are currently supervised by a human in the driver's seat. The fleet consists of 14 modified Ford Fusion sedans with sensors that use cameras, lasers, radars, and GPS receivers.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:59 pm on 15 Sep

read more at YouTube

Apple shares hit 2016-high on iPhone 7 demand

short by Mansha Mahajan / 09:43 am on 15 Sep 2016,Thursday

Tech major Apple's shares hit their highest level of 2016 on Wednesday, with the company's valuation surpassing the $600 billion-mark for the first time since April. This comes amid strong demand for its new model iPhone 7 and Samsung Electronics' recall of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones. Earlier, the world's most valuable company had sunk to a two-year low in July.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 09:43 am on 15 Sep

read more at Reuters

FB has no access to user data: WhatsApp to Delhi HC

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 08:00 am on 15 Sep 2016,Thursday

WhatsApp on Wednesday opposed a plea in Delhi High Court alleging infringement of users' privacy under the new policy announced by its parent company Facebook, reports said. WhatsApp said it provides end-to-end encryption to users' data and Facebook has no access to it. It also asserted that it gives users the option to share account information with Facebook.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 08:00 am on 15 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

Ford engineers build in-car water dispenser

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:36 pm on 14 Sep 2016,Wednesday

American automaker Ford's engineers have built a new technology called 'On-the-go H2O', which includes a drinking water tap on the front console of a car. The water supply comes from the condensation that is a natural byproduct of the vehicle's air conditioning system. According to the creators, the technology can provide clean water in developing countries.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:36 pm on 14 Sep

read more at Autoblog

Ex-Google employee builds English learning app

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:35 pm on 14 Sep 2016,Wednesday

A former product manager at Google, Yi Wang has built an English learning app called 'LiuLiShuo', which means 'speaking fluently', in Mandarin. The app uses artificial intelligence to analyse the student’s learning process and tailors the learning program according to his needs. The startup raised $42 million at a valuation of $200 million last year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:35 pm on 14 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Apple launches black and white ad for iPhone 7

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:32 pm on 14 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Technology giant Apple has launched a black and white themed advertisement for its latest smartphone iPhone 7. The black and white scheme is being related to the 'Jet Black' colour being offered with iPhone 7. Unlike Apple's previous advertisements of its iPhones, the latest advertisement does not have any narrator.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:32 pm on 14 Sep

read more at YouTube

iOS 10 update bricks some users' iPhones

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:52 pm on 14 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Several people complained that the iOS 10 software update released on Tuesday bricked their iPhones and iPads. A number of users took to Twitter claiming that after the update was complete, a message prompted to connect the device to a computer, making the device unusable until connected. Apple later confirmed the glitch and issued a fix.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:52 pm on 14 Sep

read more at Recode

Indian startup introduces smart shoes in US

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:41 pm on 14 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Mumbai-based startup Boltt on Tuesday introduced smart shoes, a range of smart bands, shoe pod sensor and wireless headsets at a technology event in the Silicon Valley. The smart shoes scientifically improve running and fitness levels by giving real-time feedback to the user through a dedicated app. The startup will begin pre-orders of its products in October.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:41 pm on 14 Sep

Uber launches first self-driving fleet

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:36 pm on 14 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Ride-hailing startup Uber on Wednesday launched its first self-driving fleet for select users in Pittsburgh, US. Uber displayed a fleet of 14 Ford Fusions equipped with radar, cameras and other sensing equipment for self-driving. While a driver will always be behind the steering wheel, Uber riders will be able to see the car drive itself from the back seat.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:36 pm on 14 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

George Hotz unveils $999 kit to turn car self-driving

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:21 pm on 14 Sep 2016,Wednesday

The first known person to unlock an iPhone, George Hotz on Tuesday unveiled 'Comma One', a $999 kit that turns select cars to self-driving vehicles. The first product of his startup, named Comma.ai, when fitted into a car wouldn't require a driver to touch the wheel or the brake. Hotz will start shipping the kit by the end of 2016.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:21 pm on 14 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

World’s first hard disk stored under 5 MB data

short by Vani Vivek / 07:14 pm on 14 Sep 2016,Wednesday

The world’s first hard disk, launched by IBM in 1956, weighed about 900 kg and had a storage capacity of under 5 MB. Named IBM 350, the 5.7-foot tall unit was part of the IBM 305 RAMAC (Random Access Memory Accounting) machine, which was introduced as the first commercial computer using disk storage 60 years ago on September 14, 1956.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:14 pm on 14 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Video simulates flight of 1st man-made object on Moon

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:51 pm on 14 Sep 2016,Wednesday

A two-minute video simulates the flight of the first man-made object to reach the Moon, Soviet space probe Luna 2. The spacecraft landed on the Moon on September 14, 1959, and was shattered on impact. The achievement is considered as a major victory for Soviet Russia in its space race with the US.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:51 pm on 14 Sep

read more at YouTube

Adblock Plus launches ads platform

short by Vani Vivek / 04:25 pm on 14 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Online ad blocking software Adblock Plus on Tuesday launched a beta version of 'Acceptable Ads Platform' which will let publishers display whitelisted ads on their sites. The ads will be visible to Adblock Plus users who visit the site. However, Adblock Plus has issued a clarification stating that users will be given options to block even the whitelisted ads.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:25 pm on 14 Sep

read more at Engadget

Robots to eliminate 6% of US jobs by 2021: Study

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:06 pm on 14 Sep 2016,Wednesday

According to a new study by American market research company Forrester, robots will eliminate 6% of all the jobs in the US by 2021. Powered by AI, the robots will start job elimination with customer service representatives and eventually take over truck and taxi drivers, the study added. These robots will understand human behavior and make decisions on their behalf.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:06 pm on 14 Sep

read more at The Guardian

iOS 10 iMessage update brings Salman Khan stickers

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:01 pm on 14 Sep 2016,Wednesday

The iOS 10 update for iMessage on iPhone, launched on Tuesday, has come with some localised options for India including actor Salman Khan's stickers 'Being SalMan', featuring his popular gestures and actions. Another set of stickers launched with the update also feature common Indian gestures and slogans like 'namaste', 'tujhse nahi hoga' and 'ai..ai..yo!'

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:01 pm on 14 Sep

iOS 10 users can delete 23 built-in apps

short by Vani Vivek / 03:18 pm on 14 Sep 2016,Wednesday

The latest version of Apple's operating software, iOS 10, which became available for download on Tuesday, allows users to uninstall 23 built-in apps including Mail, Maps and Weather. Users can also delete Contacts, and their contact information will remain in the Phone app. The apps, which account for under 150 MB space, can later be reinstalled from the App Store.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:18 pm on 14 Sep

read more at Apple

FB, Twitter join Google-backed group to stop fake news

short by Vani Vivek / 03:13 pm on 14 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Facebook and Twitter have joined Google-backed First Draft Coalition, a network of over 30 news and technology companies to prevent fake news from spreading and improving the quality of information on social media. The network said it would launch a platform where members can verify questionable news stories. Other members of the group include Washington Post, BuzzFeed News, and CNN.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:13 pm on 14 Sep

read more at Reuters

Tesla-SolarCity merger a walking insolvency: Chanos

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:11 pm on 14 Sep 2016,Wednesday

American investment manager and short-seller Jim Chanos on Tuesday said that the announced merger of Tesla with SolarCity in a $2.6 billion deal will make Tesla a "walking insolvency". Chanos added, "The synergies are questionable at best." He further predicted that the combined entity will depend accessively on the capital market and will burn roughly $1 billion cash per quarter.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:11 pm on 14 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Samsung finds hack for exploding Note 7 batteries

short by Vani Vivek / 03:10 pm on 14 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Electronics manufacturer Samsung claims to have found a 'quick fix' to prevent the batteries of its Galaxy Note 7 devices from catching fire. The company will issue a software update for its recalled smartphones that will limit them to a 60% charge to avoid overheating. The update for South Korean users will start from September 20.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:10 pm on 14 Sep

read more at Engadget

Delhi HC restrains firm from using 'Yahoo' trademark

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 12:14 am on 14 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Delhi High Court has restrained Indian firm Apricot Foods Pvt Ltd (AFPL) from using 'Yahoo' trademark, saying it amounted to Yahoo's copyright infringement. The court also directed AFPL to pay Yahoo Inc. ₹32 lakh in damages and ₹6.44 lakh as cost. The firm had marketed their product in the name of ‘Yahoo Masala Chakra’ and ‘Yahoo Tomato Tangy’.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 12:14 am on 14 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

IoT company turns old phones into security cams

short by Satyaki Das / 11:53 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Silicon Valley-based Internet of Things (IoT) company People Power has developed a security camera robot called 'Presence 360', that uses old smartphones as surveillance cameras. Placing an unused smartphone into the robot's adjustable arms, users can remotely monitor their rooms in 360 degrees. Using the Presence app, the robot starts recording videos and alerts users whenever motion is detected.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:53 pm on 13 Sep

read more at YouTube

Google opens online natural history exhibits

short by Satyaki Das / 11:29 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Google has partnered with more than 50 global natural history institutions to feature interactive stories and virtual reality tours in its new Art and Culture app. The tours explain the history of evolution, from solar system's origins to the "rise and the fall of prehistoric worlds". Users can also explore creatures like predatory dinosaurs and prehistoric giraffes in 360 degrees.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:29 pm on 13 Sep

read more at YouTube

Instagram's new tool to monitor offensive comments

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:34 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Facebook-owned photo and video sharing platform Instagram has launched a keyword moderation tool to allow its users to control the offensive comments posted on their pictures. The feature allows its users to list words that they consider offensive or inappropriate. Once listed, the comments including those words would be hidden from the user's posts.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:34 pm on 13 Sep

read more at Reuters

Razer launches venture fund to support gaming, VR

short by Satyaki Das / 08:27 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

California-based gaming technology company Razer has launched a $30 million venture fund called 'zVentures' to support startups in the gaming, virtual and augmented reality, Internet of Things, and robotics domains. The startups will get cash investments up to $1 million, besides access to Razer's hardware and software expertise, and global retail and distribution networks, said CEO Min-Liang Tan.

short by Satyaki Das / 08:27 pm on 13 Sep

read more at Engadget

Professor uses face recognition to spot bored students

short by Satyaki Das / 08:18 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Wei Xiaoyong, a science professor at China's Sichuan University, is using a custom facial recognition software to determine the level of interest shown by students attending his lectures. The software generates a 'curve' for each student showing how much they are either “happy" or “neutral”, and that data can indicate whether or not they are bored, he said.

short by Satyaki Das / 08:18 pm on 13 Sep

read more at Engadget

Google shortlists Indian startup to send robot to Moon

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:08 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Technology giant Google has shortlisted an Indian space technology startup named Team Indus to send a robot to the Moon under the company's Lunar XPRIZE competition for $30 million. If selected, the spacecraft making startup will become the first privately-funded entity to make a lunar landing. The startup's spacecraft is scheduled to launch at the end of 2017.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:08 pm on 13 Sep

read more at Business Today

Samsung, LG sued over not hiring each other's workers

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:06 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

South Korean electronics major Samsung and its rival LG have been sued by a former LG sales manager over an agreement of not hiring each other's employees and conspiring to suppress wages. The former LG employee further claims that the agreement dates back to 2005 and the top management at both the companies are aware of the no cross-hiring deal.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:06 pm on 13 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Google driverless car tech to detect emergency vehicle

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:05 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Google has patented a new technology for its self-driving car which will let the car detect flashing lights of the emergency vehicles and respond accordingly. The technology would allow a car to see and interpret flashing lights and their colors, specifically red, blue, and a potential third color, which is a common scheme of emergency lights.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:05 pm on 13 Sep

read more at Autoblog

Mario was named after Nintendo's warehouse landlord

short by Vani Vivek / 06:18 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Video game character Mario was named after the landlord of Nintendo's US warehouse, Mario Segale. The character was initially called Jumpman in Japan, but the developers renamed it 'Mario' after the landlord reportedly demanded rent while they were thinking of a new name. The first game in the Super Mario series, 'Super Mario Bros', was released on September 13, 1985.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:18 pm on 13 Sep

read more at YouTube

Firm makes $10 strap to hold AirPods together

short by Vani Vivek / 05:51 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

California-based mobile accessories company Spigen has developed a cable priced at $10 to strap Apple's upcoming wireless AirPods together. Users can place the rubber strap around their neck like regular earbuds to keep the AirPods from getting lost. Apple AirPods will retail for $159 starting from October.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:51 pm on 13 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Mario is best-selling video game series of all time

short by Vani Vivek / 05:40 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Nintendo's Mario franchise, which features the Italian character Mario, holds the record for being the best-selling video game series of all time, with over 555 million sales worldwide. Mario debuted in 'Donkey Kong' and has since featured in over 180 games. 'Super Mario Bros', the first game in the Super Mario series, was released 31 years ago on September 13.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:40 pm on 13 Sep

read more at Guinness World Records

PM Modi doing a fantastic job on LinkedIn, says CEO

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:32 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Professional social network LinkedIn's CEO Jeff Weiner today said, “I believe PM Modi and his team are doing a fantastic job on LinkedIn.” Weiner added, “I want to share PM Modi’s passion of making a difference in India.” He further added, "We've massive expansion plans for India and it is the second largest country for LinkedIn in terms of membership.”

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:32 pm on 13 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

Twitter to allow longer tweets from Sept 19: Report

short by Vani Vivek / 04:37 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Micro blogging platform Twitter will reportedly alter its 140-character limit from September 19 2016, giving users more space to compose their messages. Media attachments like photos, GIFs, videos, polls, or quoted tweets will no longer reduce the character count in a tweet. Additionally, when replying to a tweet, usernames (for example, @names) will also not be counted.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:37 pm on 13 Sep

read more at Engadget

Bots are overhyped, says Facebook Messenger head

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:36 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Facebook Messenger's head David Marcus in a recent interview said, "The introduction of bots to Facebook and other platforms has been overhyped and the bots themselves often aren't very good." Marcus added, "It got really overhyped really, really quickly." He further said that bots suffer from a perception that they're not as useful as advertised by Facebook, Google and Microsoft.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:36 pm on 13 Sep

read more at The Verge

Facebook allows payments via Messenger chatbots

short by Vani Vivek / 04:36 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Facebook has announced that its instant messaging platform Messenger will allow users to make payments to retailers directly rather than being redirected to an external website. Facebook has partnered with PayPal, Visa, MasterCard and American Express among other payment processing companies. According to the company, businesses have built over 30,000 Messenger bots to interact with customers.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:36 pm on 13 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Facebook will learn from Vietnam photo mistake: COO

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:35 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Facebook's Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg has said that the company will learn from the mistake it made by deleting historic Vietnam War photo of a naked girl fleeing a napalm attack. The photo was deleted from several accounts on Friday for violating Facebook's restrictions on nudity. However, the picture was later reinstated by Facebook.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:35 pm on 13 Sep

read more at Reuters

Device that converts body heat to electricity made

short by Vani Vivek / 04:34 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

US-based researchers have developed a new lightweight design for harvesting body heat and converting it into electricity for use in wearable electronics. Previous approaches used "bulky and stiff" heat sinks while the new system is 2mm thick and flexible, said the researchers. The team also identified that the upper arm was the optimal site on the body for heat harvesting.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:34 pm on 13 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

New documentary accuses John McAfee of rape, murders

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:29 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

A new documentary by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nanette Burstein accuses McAfee antivirus maker, John McAfee, of rape of a female business partner and murdering two men. The two murders include killing a Belizian man while another suggests McAfee getting his neighbour killed for poisoning his dogs. McAfee has denied the allegations and accused Burstein of paying locals for fabricated interviews.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:29 pm on 13 Sep

read more at The Verge

Microsoft to kill Lumia brand by December: Report

short by Vani Vivek / 04:19 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Technology company Microsoft will reportedly stop selling its Lumia line of devices by December 2016. The company has already removed the link to buy Lumia phones from its website in the US and has started removing units from display at its retail stores. According to reports, Microsoft will be holding an event in October 2016, announcing a 'Surface all-in-one' device.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:19 pm on 13 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Samsung Chairman lost $1.2bn in 2 days on Note 7 issue

short by Twishy Shahi / 03:50 pm on 13 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-Hee, lost nearly $1.2 billion in two days after shares of the company fell 11% since Friday as US regulators urged users to switch off their Note 7 smartphones because of fire-prone batteries. However, Lee Kun-Hee still remains the richest man in South Korea with a fortune of $13.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

short by Twishy Shahi / 03:50 pm on 13 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Technique to draw nanoscale patterns using metal ink

short by Rini Kapoor / 10:58 pm on 12 Sep 2016,Monday

In a first, US-based scientists have developed a technique to write nanoscale patterns with metallic ink using an electron microscope. Conventionally, such patterns are made through lithography, which requires masks to prevent material from accumulating on protected areas. The new method, which was able to write at 40 nanometers resolution, is like lithography without the mask, researchers said.

short by Rini Kapoor / 10:58 pm on 12 Sep

read more at Engadget

Chatbot made to send love texts to partner

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:51 pm on 12 Sep 2016,Monday

Two Microsoft employees have created a new chatbot called 'LoveBot' which sends love, casual or motivational texts to the selected contacts. The users can designate certain timings at which the bot sends the text message. While love mode includes Shakespeare quotes and relationship messages, casual mode sends check-in messages or asks whereabouts of the user's friends.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:51 pm on 12 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

LinkedIn to launch 4 times faster mobile site in India

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:11 pm on 12 Sep 2016,Monday

Professional social network LinkedIn has announced 'LinkedIn Lite', a four times faster version of its mobile website for Indian users, expected to be launched in the country in the next few weeks. The company also announced to launch an online test for the users called 'LinkedIn Placements', results of which will be matched with jobs being advertised on the website.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:11 pm on 12 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

HP buys Samsung's printer business for $1.05 bn

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:15 pm on 12 Sep 2016,Monday

American technology company HP on Monday agreed to buy South Korean electronics maker Samsung's printer business in a deal worth $1.05 billion. Both HP and Samsung are expecting the deal to close in a year, where Samsung will invest between $100 million to $300 million in HP. Samsung’s printer division employs around 6,000 people across the world.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:15 pm on 12 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Jim Beam launches Apple Watch with pop-up shot glass

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:38 pm on 12 Sep 2016,Monday

Jim Beam whiskey has launched its own version of the Apple Watch at $17.99, which comes with a 44 ml pop-up shot glass. Calling the watch a 'drinkable wearable', the company claims it to be stylish, wearable and drinkable. However, unlike technology giant Apple's Watch, Jim Beam's watch doesn't have Wi-Fi, screen, fitness tracker or the ability to tell time.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:38 pm on 12 Sep

read more at YouTube

Samsung loses $14 bn in few hours due to Note 7 issue

short by Azhar Iqubal / 02:38 pm on 12 Sep 2016,Monday

Electronics giant Samsung lost over $14 billion in market value in a few hours on Monday morning, after the company asked its customers to switch off and return their Note 7 smartphones due to fire-prone batteries. Earlier, about three dozen Note 7 smartphones were found to have batteries that caught fire or exploded.

short by Azhar Iqubal / 02:38 pm on 12 Sep

read more at Reuters

App made to guide people to safe places during crisis

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:36 pm on 12 Sep 2016,Monday

Five programmers have developed an app called 'SafeZone' that guides users to safe places during crisis situations like terrorism, natural disaster or mass shooting. The app shows users a map with directions to safe zones, including police stations or hospitals in the event of a crisis. The makers are planning to integrate 911 emergency services and Facebook to the app.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:36 pm on 12 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Samsung shares fall most in 4 years over Note 7 recall

short by Mansha Mahajan / 11:41 am on 12 Sep 2016,Monday

Samsung Electronics' shares fell as much as 7.2% on Monday, after touching their lowest level since August 2012, after the tech giant told customers to switch off and return their Galaxy Note 7 smartphones due to fire-prone batteries. Samsung shed about $14 billion in valuation in a single morning. It had earlier announced a worldwide recall of 2.5 million smartphones.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 11:41 am on 12 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

ISRO to launch satellite made by IIT-Bombay students

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:57 am on 12 Sep 2016,Monday

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch a satellite developed by the students of IIT Bombay. Called ‘Pratham’, the satellite will measure the total electron count of the ionosphere. The satellite was conceptualised by two students of the Aerospace Engineering department - Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay and Shashank Tamaskar - in July 2007.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:57 am on 12 Sep

US-based startup develops 360º 4K action camera

short by Rini Kapoor / 01:15 am on 12 Sep 2016,Monday

US-based startup Camorama has developed a 4K action camera that can record 360-degree videos. The camera captures virtual reality videos which can be streamed live to YouTube and Facebook. The product has been launched on Kickstarter for crowdfunding and has already raised over $150,000. Priced at $239 for early customers, the camera will start shipping in November.

short by Rini Kapoor / 01:15 am on 12 Sep

read more at YouTube

MIT develops device that detects ripeness of fruit

short by Satyaki Das / 01:12 am on 12 Sep 2016,Monday

MIT researchers have developed a new handheld device that can detect whether a fruit is ripe. The device contains a spectrometer that shines ultraviolet light on the fruit's skin to measure the 'glow' of the pigment chlorophyll, which correlates with the fruit's ripeness. The device then relays data to an Android app via Bluetooth to compute the degree of ripeness.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:12 am on 12 Sep

Google's DeepMind mimics realistic human speech

short by Satyaki Das / 12:57 am on 12 Sep 2016,Monday

Google’s DeepMind AI unit has created a machine-generated speech system, called WaveNet, that sounds 50% more realistic than any of its existing text-to-speech programs, according to blind test subjects. DeepMind, which was acquired by Google for about $533 million in 2014, employed an artificial neural network to mimic sound waves formed by an actual human voice.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:57 am on 12 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Man sets world record playing Football Manager

short by Satyaki Das / 12:31 am on 12 Sep 2016,Monday

A UK man named Darren Bland has set the world record for the longest-ever single game in soccer simulator Football Manager 2010, according to Guinness World Records. Bland played the game from 2013 to 2014, clocking around 4,150 playing hours to complete 154 in-game seasons. Interestingly, he only stopped playing when accidental liquid spillage damaged his laptop.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:31 am on 12 Sep

read more at Guinness World Records

Italian firm creates world's first VR comic book

short by Satyaki Das / 10:34 pm on 11 Sep 2016,Sunday

Rome-based Oniride has launched the first issue of 'Magnetique', the world's first virtual reality comic book, for Samsung Gear VR headset. Each panel of the comic spans 360 degrees, with speech bubbles that zoom in when the reader looks at them. The comic chronicles the adventures of Nero, a young puppeteer on a trip to the fictional coast of Cyan.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:34 pm on 11 Sep

read more at YouTube

Indian men outnumber women 3 to 1 on Facebook

short by Vani Vivek / 08:16 pm on 11 Sep 2016,Sunday

According to a report by a Britain-based consultancy, women account for about 24% of India's 153 million Facebook users, meaning there are more than three Indian men on the platform for every woman. Pakistan's sex ratio on Facebook stands at 22% and Bangladesh's at 23%, while Australia has 53% female users and New Zealand has 59%.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:16 pm on 11 Sep

read more at Mashable

Samsung unveils Galaxy Folder 2 flip phone in China

short by Vani Vivek / 07:56 pm on 11 Sep 2016,Sunday

South Korean electronics maker Samsung has unveiled its 'Galaxy Folder 2' flip phone in China. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor, the Folder 2 has a 3.8-inch display, 2 GB RAM, 8 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera. The device will run Android Marshmallow and likely be priced around $250.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:56 pm on 11 Sep

read more at Google

Google releases teaser of its crowdsourced Indian film

short by Vani Vivek / 07:30 pm on 11 Sep 2016,Sunday

Google India has released the trailer of its first fully crowdsourced feature film, 'India in a Day'. The documentary has been compiled as a montage of clips sent by people from across India. The film, which is releasing on September 23, has been directed by Toronto-based Richie Mehta with Ridley Scott and Anurag Kashyap as its executive producers.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:30 pm on 11 Sep

read more at YouTube

Firm makes device to test glaucoma using smartphone

short by Vani Vivek / 07:03 pm on 11 Sep 2016,Sunday

A British company has developed a concept headset called 'Viewi' to diagnose and monitor glaucoma at home using smartphones. A connected mobile app will test the sensitivity of the users' eyes by flashing lights at varying points of the visual field. The headset, priced at around $26, will enable cheap diagnosis of one of the leading causes of blindness.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:03 pm on 11 Sep

read more at Engadget

iPhone 7 launch event led to drop in PornHub traffic

short by Vani Vivek / 06:30 pm on 11 Sep 2016,Sunday

Adult video sharing website PornHub has said it witnessed a drop in traffic from Apple devices at the time of the iPhone 7 launch event on September 7. According to the insights published by PornHub, iPhones and iPads account for over 35% of PornHub's 60 million daily visitors, and worldwide iOS traffic dropped as much as 9.5% during the event.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:30 pm on 11 Sep

read more at India Today

Video: Why can't you use a phone on an airplane

short by Sanira Mediratta / 05:31 pm on 11 Sep 2016,Sunday

A one-minute video explores the belief that using phones on airplanes emits radio signals that interfere with flight control. Though using phones from high altitudes emits stronger signals to connect with signal towers on ground, installing 'Picocell', a mini cell tower on board, could combat the issue. Additionally, a study suggested that banning electronic use below 10,000 feet is "useless".

short by Sanira Mediratta / 05:31 pm on 11 Sep

read more at YouTube

Google to show user-generated ratings in Search

short by Vani Vivek / 04:42 pm on 11 Sep 2016,Sunday

Google has introduced 'Reviews from the web’ feature for mobile and desktop which will show user ratings from three review sites directly on the Search page. This feature will help users to view ratings given by other users without going to different websites. Previously, when users searched for local places like shops and restaurants, only critic reviews were displayed.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:42 pm on 11 Sep

'Data traffic to surge five-fold by year-end'

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:31 pm on 11 Sep 2016,Sunday

Reliance Jio’s entry and rapid expansion of 4G services by other operators could drive data traffic five-fold by the end of this year, Indian tech firm Indus OS said. India can now break the 1 GB per month usage barrier and be amongst the top 10 mobile data consumers in the world by 2020, it added.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:31 pm on 11 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

Facebook sued by teen for allowing nude photo post

short by Vani Vivek / 02:54 pm on 11 Sep 2016,Sunday

A 14-year-old girl from Northern Ireland is suing social media platform Facebook, after a naked photograph of her, obtained through blackmail, was posted on the site. The girl's lawyers claim that the picture was repeatedly published online as a form of revenge and blocking its re-publication should have been a "red-line" issue for Facebook.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:54 pm on 11 Sep

read more at Google

World’s 1st robotic eye operation performed in Britain

short by Vani Vivek / 06:46 am on 11 Sep 2016,Sunday

British surgeons have successfully performed the world’s first robotic operation inside the eye, potentially revolutionising the way such conditions are treated. The procedure was carried out at John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford. “With a robotic system, we open up a whole new chapter of eye operations that currently cannot be performed,” said the Surgeon Robert MacLaren.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:46 am on 11 Sep

read more at The Guardian

MIT team designing system to 'read closed books’

short by Satyaki Das / 01:21 am on 11 Sep 2016,Sunday

MIT engineers are designing an imaging system that can read closed books. The system combines Femto-photography, that captures images trillionths of a second apart, with terahertz radiation, the band of electromagnetic radiation between microwaves and infrared light, to distinguish between ink and paper. The prototype was able to identify letters on the first nine pages of a stack of paper.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:21 am on 11 Sep

read more at YouTube

Adobe offers $50k to analyse Sony's PS business

short by Satyaki Das / 11:53 pm on 10 Sep 2016,Saturday

Software company Adobe announced on Friday that its Adobe Analytics Challenge 2016 will award $50,000 in cash and prizes to college teams that best analyse Sony’s PlayStation business. Students will access data from the PlayStation app and website on traffic, in-app user actions, and average session length, among other metrics. The 11th edition of the competition starts on September 22.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:53 pm on 10 Sep

read more at VentureBeat

China, Russia have world's best developers: HackerRank

short by Satyaki Das / 11:46 pm on 10 Sep 2016,Saturday

The world's most talented developers belong to China and Russia, according to a recent study by HackerRank, a platform that ranks programmers based on their coding skills. Based on accuracy and speed, the Chinese were found to excel in maths and functional programming, while the Russians dominated in algorithms. India's and the US' overall ranks were 31 and 28 respectively.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:46 pm on 10 Sep

read more at VentureBeat

US Navy reveals interior of $4.4 bn Zumwalt destroyer

short by Satyaki Das / 09:20 pm on 10 Sep 2016,Saturday

US Navy on Friday demonstrated the interiors of Zumwalt destroyer, reportedly the most expensive warship ever built for the navy at over $4.4 billion. The 186-metre-long ship is equipped with stealth features and a gun system that can launch 600 rocket-powered projectiles at targets more than 110 kilometres away. It is named after World War II hero Admiral Elmo Zumwalt.

short by Satyaki Das / 09:20 pm on 10 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

LinkedIn changes algorithm amid gender bias claims

short by Vani Vivek / 08:11 pm on 10 Sep 2016,Saturday

Business-oriented social networking platform LinkedIn has rolled out a change to its search algorithm following reports that searches for common female names yielded suggestions for male names, but not vice-versa. While LinkedIn denies that the algorithm was gender biased, the change enables it to recognise popular names, so that the algorithm doesn't try to correct them.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:11 pm on 10 Sep

read more at Daily Mail

Mario was initially called ‘Jumpman’

short by Sanira Mediratta / 07:21 pm on 10 Sep 2016,Saturday

The gaming character Mario, developed by Nintendo, was initially called ‘Jumpman’ but its name was changed before its American release. While the developers were thinking of a new name, they were interrupted by Mario Segale, who reportedly bore similarities to the character, thus, generating the character's name 'Mario'. Mario Segale was Nintendo's US warehouse landlord.

short by Sanira Mediratta / 07:21 pm on 10 Sep

read more at YouTube

FB algorithm promotes 9/11 conspiracy theory story

short by Vani Vivek / 07:06 pm on 10 Sep 2016,Saturday

Facebook users who clicked on the "9/11" trending topic on Friday were directed to a tabloid story, which claimed that "bombs were planted in Twin Towers" and "controlled demolitions" destroyed the World Trade Center towers rather than aeroplane crashes. The story was removed by Facebook after it was spotted by a news website.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:06 pm on 10 Sep

read more at Engadget

Elon Musk calls SpaceX blast ‘most complex failure’

short by Vani Vivek / 06:54 pm on 10 Sep 2016,Saturday

SpaceX Founder Elon Musk has called the explosion of the aerospace manufacturer's rocket "the most difficult and complex failure" since SpaceX was founded 14 years ago. A SpaceX-led accident investigation overseen by the US Federal Aviation Administration is currently underway, trying to understand why the rocket burst into flames on the launchpad on September 1.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:54 pm on 10 Sep

read more at The Verge

Google Photos iOS update turns Live Photos into GIFs

short by Vani Vivek / 06:40 pm on 10 Sep 2016,Saturday

Google has released Version 2.0 for the Google Photos app on iOS, letting users edit their Live Photos and turn them into shareable GIFs or video clips. The update will also make these images accessible to non-iPhone users. Through this update, Google Photos has introduced easier sharing options to apps like Instagram and YouTube.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:40 pm on 10 Sep

read more at The Verge

Stop using the Galaxy Note 7: US Safety Commission

short by Vani Vivek / 06:40 pm on 10 Sep 2016,Saturday

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission in a public statement has asked users of Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 to "power them down and stop charging or using the device". Although Samsung has issued a recall following reports of the phone's battery exploding, the Note 7 will become illegal to sell in the US if officially recalled by the Safety Commission.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:40 pm on 10 Sep

read more at The Verge

Yahoo CEO may get $44 mn severance package

short by Vani Vivek / 06:33 pm on 10 Sep 2016,Saturday

According to a regulatory filing made by Yahoo on Friday, CEO Marissa Mayer could reap $44 million if she quits within a year of Verizon finalising its $4.8 billion acquisition of the internet company. Mayer would receive nearly $41 million in equity and $3 million in cash under the 'Golden Parachute' compensation program.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:33 pm on 10 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

Instagram tells anti-litter app to change its name

short by Vani Vivek / 06:27 pm on 10 Sep 2016,Saturday

British anti-garbage startup LitterGram has been asked by Instagram's lawyers to change its name as the use of "gram" could undermine Instagram's brand. LitterGram lets users share photos of garbage, geotag its location and report it to the local council. The use of photography and social aspects of the app have also been argued as being similar to Instagram.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:27 pm on 10 Sep

read more at The Guardian

FB changes policy on iconic war pic after facing flak

short by Vani Vivek / 06:13 pm on 10 Sep 2016,Saturday

Social media giant Facebook has changed its stance on banning a Pulitzer Prize-winning Vietnam war photograph depicting a naked 9-year-old fleeing napalm bombs. FB CEO Mark Zuckerberg was slammed for abusing his power to delete the picture. "Because of its status as an iconic image of historical importance, we have decided to reinstate the image," Facebook said in a statement.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:13 pm on 10 Sep

read more at Recode

Samsung to mark 'safe' Note 7s with blue 'S' on box

short by Vani Vivek / 05:48 pm on 10 Sep 2016,Saturday

South Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung has announced that the replacement stock of the Galaxy Note 7 devices will be marked with a blue 'S' on the box to distinguish them from the devices with faulty batteries. The barcode label will also have a small black square. The new Galaxy Note 7 phones will be available starting September 21 in Australia.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:48 pm on 10 Sep

read more at The Verge

Yahoo rejected Yahoo Japan's proposal to merge

short by Vani Vivek / 05:46 pm on 10 Sep 2016,Saturday

According to a regulatory filing, Yahoo Japan in February proposed a "merger of equals" with Yahoo before Verizon acquired Yahoo's core assets for over $4.8 billion in July. The deal would have given the company's shareholders 50% of the combined entity and about $14 billion in cash. The deal was rejected because its terms did not seem "compelling" to Yahoo.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:46 pm on 10 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

1st search engine was launched 26 years ago

short by Sumedha Sehra / 04:38 pm on 10 Sep 2016,Saturday

The world's first search engine Archie, that was launched 26 years ago on September 10, 1990, could locate a file on the internet only upon searching the name of the file, as it did not index the files' content. It helped users get "descriptive information about freely available...documents, images, sounds and services on the network...worldwide", explained Archie creator Alan Emtage.

short by Sumedha Sehra / 04:38 pm on 10 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

App turns smartphones into anaemia detectors

short by Satyaki Das / 03:57 am on 10 Sep 2016,Saturday

University of Washington researchers have developed an app that turns smartphones into anaemia detectors. HemaApp analyses a person's blood colour by shining the phone's flash against their skin to estimate haemoglobin concentration which drops for anaemic patients. Notably, the World Health Organisation has identified anaemia as the most common blood disorder in the world.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:57 am on 10 Sep

read more at YouTube

'Sewbo' makes first robot that sews entire shirt

short by Satyaki Das / 03:52 am on 10 Sep 2016,Saturday

Seattle-based startup Sewbo has developed a robotic arm that it claims is the first robot that can sew an entire article of clothing. The robot uses a non-toxic polymer to stiffen fabric to make it resemble cardboard, and the pre-cut pieces are fed into a sewing machine. The polymer stiffener is later removed by dropping the fabric in hot water.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:52 am on 10 Sep

read more at Google

1st beauty contest judged by AI chooses white winners

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 09:16 pm on 09 Sep 2016,Friday

The first international beauty contest judged by Artificial Intelligence has chosen 44 winners, almost all of whom are white, a few are Asian and one is dark-skinned. Beauty.AI was to judge factors including facial symmetry and wrinkles to identify the most attractive of the approximately 6,000 contestants. About 75% of the contestants were European and white, while 7% were Indians.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 09:16 pm on 09 Sep

read more at The Guardian

India bans Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on planes

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:09 pm on 09 Sep 2016,Friday

The Ministry of Civil Aviation today banned the use of Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 smartphone on board an aircraft, amid several reports of the device exploding and catching fire. The Ministry has advised airlines and travelling Note 7 users not to turn on or charge the device during flights, or carry it in the checked-in baggage.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:09 pm on 09 Sep

read more at Mashable

The first computer bug was an actual insect

short by Sanira Mediratta / 06:55 pm on 09 Sep 2016,Friday

The first computer bug was an actual moth, found trapped in the computer Harvard Mark II, 69 years ago on September 9, 1947. Discovered by engineers working on the computer, the bug was pasted in a log book, with the caption 'First actual case of bug being found'. However, the term 'bug' was in use earlier as well.

short by Sanira Mediratta / 06:55 pm on 09 Sep

read more at Google

AirPods will also work with non-Apple devices

short by Vani Vivek / 06:53 pm on 09 Sep 2016,Friday

Apple's new wireless headphones, AirPods, will be reportedly compatible with devices from other companies as well. The $159 AirPods will work like basic Bluetooth headphones when connected to non-Apple gadgets, without features like integration with a virtual assistant like Siri. According to Apple, AirPods "just lose the magic when not used with an Apple device".

short by Vani Vivek / 06:53 pm on 09 Sep

read more at Engadget

Note 7 battery caused SpaceX explosion, tweets a user

short by Vani Vivek / 06:42 pm on 09 Sep 2016,Friday

After SpaceX Founder Elon Musk took to Twitter asking for help to understand the recent Falcon 9 rocket explosion, a user reacted with a tweet saying, "It was a Note 7 battery exploding." Another user tweeted, "Aliens dude. Aliens", to which Musk responded with, "Nope, it wasn't me". "Do not exclude sabotage", tweeted another user.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:42 pm on 09 Sep

read more at Tweet Collection

Google to buy cloud software firm Apigee for $625 mn

short by Vani Vivek / 06:04 pm on 09 Sep 2016,Friday

Technology giant Google on Thursday announced the acquisition of cloud software company Apigee in a deal valued at $625 million. Google will pay Apigee shareholders $17.40 per share, at a premium of 6.5%. Apigee has worked with companies like Walgreens, AT&T, and Burberry to build digital products with open application programming interfaces (APIs).

short by Vani Vivek / 06:04 pm on 09 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Zuckerberg slammed for deleting iconic Vietnam war pic

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:54 pm on 09 Sep 2016,Friday

Norway’s biggest newspaper's CEO & Editor-in-chief has accused Mark Zuckerberg of abusing his power after Facebook deleted an article from his page containing an iconic image from the Vietnam war. The Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph shows a naked 9-year-old fleeing napalm bombs after being severely burnt. He slammed Zuckerberg in an open letter, calling him "world’s most powerful editor."

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:54 pm on 09 Sep

read more at Google Blog

Apple lowers iPhone screen repair fee to $29

short by Vani Vivek / 04:43 pm on 09 Sep 2016,Friday

Apple has updated its AppleCare+ warranty plan, reducing the cost of repairing cracked iPhone screens from $99 to $29. The plan, which costs $129 for iPhone 7 and iPhone 6s users, includes only two repairs from accidental damage. However, the cost of repairing screens without warranty will cost $149.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:43 pm on 09 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Apple shares dip over 2.6% after iPhone 7 launch

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 04:36 pm on 09 Sep 2016,Friday

Apple shares dropped by over 2.6% on Thursday, marking its biggest intra-day fall since late June, after it launched the latest versions of the iPhone. The fall wiped off nearly $12 billion off the company’s stock price. iPhone sales have declined for two straight quarters as it faces saturation in its home market and stiff competition in the emerging ones.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 04:36 pm on 09 Sep

read more at Google

Elon Musk asks Twitter for help with rocket explosion

short by Vani Vivek / 04:30 pm on 09 Sep 2016,Friday

SpaceX Founder Elon Musk on Friday took to Twitter to ask for help in understanding the launchpad explosion of the aerospace manufacturer's Falcon 9 rocket earlier this month. "Support & advice from NASA, AFPAA (US Air Force) & others much appreciated", Musk tweeted. He also asked witnesses to share any footage they had of SpaceX's "most difficult and complex failure...ever".

short by Vani Vivek / 04:30 pm on 09 Sep

read more at The Verge

UP Police adopts Twitter Seva for grievance redressal

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 02:16 pm on 09 Sep 2016,Friday

Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday adopted microblogging site Twitter's live customer service resolution solution ‘Twitter Seva’ for "better redressal" of issues. The service will record complaints tweeted to or tagged with the UP Police’s Twitter handle @Uppolice. With this, more than 120 verified accounts of the UP Police across districts and zones will be accessible to the public on Twitter.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 02:16 pm on 09 Sep

read more at PTI

Apple kills $10,000 gold Apple Watch

short by Vani Vivek / 02:15 pm on 09 Sep 2016,Friday

Apple has discontinued the $10,000 18 carat gold version of its Apple Watch which was introduced in March 2015. The company did not disclose the official sales figure for the gold 'Apple Watch Edition'. However, Apple on Wednesday launched a ceramic version of the Watch Series 2 priced at $1,299, calling it the new Apple Watch Edition.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:15 pm on 09 Sep

read more at Mashable

Man claims Note 7 explosion set his car on fire

short by Vani Vivek / 01:59 pm on 09 Sep 2016,Friday

A Florida-based man has claimed that his Galaxy Note 7 exploded in his car while charging, setting the Jeep on fire. The man shared the incident on Facebook with photos of the car and phone, captioned, "Not the barbecue I wanted on my day off". The man has said he wasn't aware of the Note 7 recall issued by Samsung.

short by Vani Vivek / 01:59 pm on 09 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg in Most Powerful Women list

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 01:57 pm on 09 Sep 2016,Friday

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg has featured in Fortune magazine's Most Powerful Women 2016 list, topped by General Motors CEO Mary Barra. It also features IBM's Ginni Rometty, Oracle's Safra Catz, HP Enterprise's Meg Whitman and YouTube's Susan Wojcicki among other CEOs of technological enterprise. The 51-women list has 22 CEOs of major companies with over $1.1 trillion in market capitalization.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 01:57 pm on 09 Sep

read more at Reuters

UK's Micro Focus announces $8.8 bn merger with HP

short by Mansha Mahajan / 01:18 pm on 09 Sep 2016,Friday

UK tech major Micro Focus has announced that it will buy part of US-based Hewlett-Packard’s business in a deal valued at about $8.8 billion. Hewlett-Packard Enterprise will merge its non-core software assets with Micro Finance, to cut down its operations. Notably, this will make Micro Focus one of world's largest infrastructure software companies with annual revenues of about $4.5 billion.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 01:18 pm on 09 Sep

read more at The Guardian

Samsung offering free Gear VR to Note 7 pre-bookers

short by Satyaki Das / 09:38 pm on 08 Sep 2016,Thursday

Samsung on Thursday announced that it would give a free Gear VR headset to its Indian customers who pre-booked the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, which is being recalled over fire-prone battery concerns. The company will also give an Oculus content voucher worth ₹3,300 bundled with the free headsets. The device is yet to be officially available for buying in India.

short by Satyaki Das / 09:38 pm on 08 Sep

read more at India Today

Australian airlines ban use of Samsung Note 7

short by Satyaki Das / 08:20 pm on 08 Sep 2016,Thursday

Three Australian airlines have reportedly banned passengers from using or charging Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones during flights due to concerns over the phone's fire-prone batteries. Qantas, its budget unit Jetstar and Virgin Australia said they imposed the ban as a precaution, following the world's biggest smartphone vendor's recall of its Note 7 phones in 10 markets.

short by Satyaki Das / 08:20 pm on 08 Sep

read more at Reuters

Apple discontinues iPhone 5, 6 and 6 Plus in India

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:07 pm on 08 Sep 2016,Thursday

Apple has discontinued the sales of iPhone 5, 6 and 6 Plus in India, following the launch of iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. There are three iPhone ranges in India now, iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, iPhone SE, and iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. The latest phones will be available in India from October 7, with price starting from ₹60,000.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:07 pm on 08 Sep

read more at Google

Apple to launch iOS 10 on September 13

short by Satyaki Das / 07:02 pm on 08 Sep 2016,Thursday

Apple will launch iOS 10, the latest version of its mobile operating system, on September 13, the company said at its recent press event. The operating system will sport features like the ability to integrate Siri into third-party apps and sending handwritten notes and sketches via iMessage. The update will be compatible with all models starting from the iPhone 5.

short by Satyaki Das / 07:02 pm on 08 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

New Jet Black iPhones are prone to scratches: Apple

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:22 pm on 08 Sep 2016,Thursday

Apple has cautioned its customers that the Jet Black version of the iPhone 7 needs extra care to keep it scratch-free. The company declared, "[I]ts high shine may show fine micro-abrasions with use. If you are concerned about this, we suggest you use one of the many cases available to protect your iPhone."

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:22 pm on 08 Sep

read more at Engadget

Apple unveils waterproof Watch Series 2 with GPS

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:56 pm on 08 Sep 2016,Thursday

Apple on Wednesday unveiled the next generation of its smartwatch, Apple Watch Series 2, claimed to be waterproof and priced at $369. Powered by a dual-core processor that is 50% faster, the gadget has a built-in GPS and will support Pokemon-Go. Apple also introduced Apple Watch Nike+ model with a special band, custom watch faces and a fuel tracker.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:56 pm on 08 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Apple kills 16GB storage for iPhone 7

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:55 pm on 08 Sep 2016,Thursday

Apple's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will no longer offer the 16GB variant, and instead will come with 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB capacities. The latest version has two stereo speakers, a longer battery life, 12MP camera, with the 7 Plus model having dual cameras. iPhone 7 has a screen-size of 4.7 inches, while 7 Plus comes with 5.5 inches.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:55 pm on 08 Sep

read more at Engadget

Video explores the working of microwave ovens

short by Sumedha Sehra / 05:46 pm on 08 Sep 2016,Thursday

A three-minute-long YouTube video shows the process behind the heating of food in a microwave oven. The kitchen appliance was invented by accident after Dr Percy Spencer, while testing a magnetron in 1946, observed that the candy bar in his pocket melted. Spencer, who created the first microwave oven in 1947, passed away 47 years ago on September 8, 1969.

short by Sumedha Sehra / 05:46 pm on 08 Sep

read more at YouTube

Apple's new processor 120 times faster than 1st iPhone

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:09 pm on 08 Sep 2016,Thursday

The new processor in Apple's iPhone 7, A10 Fusion, is claimed to be 120 times faster than the original iPhone. The new chip has four cores, two of which are high-performance cores. Apple claims the new chip lets iPhone 7 last over two hours more than the iPhone 6S, making it the "longest battery life ever in an iPhone."

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:09 pm on 08 Sep

read more at The Verge

Nintendo stocks jump 18% on Super Mario's Apple debut

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:28 pm on 08 Sep 2016,Thursday

Following Nintendo's 'surprise' announcement that its popular game franchise Super Mario Bros will debut on Apple's App Store in December, the Japanese firm's shares surged as much as 18% on Thursday. Analysts expect 'Super Mario Run' to be another 'mobile hit' for Nintendo after Pokemon GO. Further, US-listed shares of Nintendo jumped more than 28% on Wednesday after the announcement.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:28 pm on 08 Sep

read more at Business Today

Apple unveils the $159 wireless AirPods

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:23 pm on 08 Sep 2016,Thursday

Tech giant Apple on Wednesday unveiled the AirPods, wireless earphones with a built-in W1 chip for audio processing and pairing. Priced at $159, the AirPods use Bluetooth to transmit audio from devices, and they are equipped with sensors to detect when they are plugged in. The charging lasts up to 5 hours, and the pods' casing doubles up as battery.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:23 pm on 08 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Rose is sad coz there's no Jack #iPhone7, tweets user

short by Chhavi Tyagi / 04:16 pm on 08 Sep 2016,Thursday

Reacting to the launch of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, with no headphone jack and wireless earbuds 'AirPods', a Twitter user wrote, "Rose is sad because there is No Jack on the #iPhone!". While one user tweeted, "#iPhone7 Prices announced (waits for Tata Nano comparisons)." Another user posted, "The new #iPhone7 comes in several colours, including black, blacker black."

short by Chhavi Tyagi / 04:16 pm on 08 Sep

read more at Twitter

Video sums up Apple’s 'big launch' in 107 seconds

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:01 pm on 08 Sep 2016,Thursday

A YouTube video, 'Apple-Don't Blink', sums up Apple's presentation in San Francisco on Wednesday in 107 seconds. Starting with CEO Tim Cook's carpool to the event, the video highlights the new iPhone's features, including the removal of the '100-year old' headphone jack. It further introduces the wireless AirPods, and shows the water-resistant Apple Watch Series 2.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:01 pm on 08 Sep

read more at YouTube

Dell completes $67 billion merger deal with EMC

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 08:30 am on 08 Sep 2016,Thursday

American technology company Dell Inc said on Wednesday that it has completed the $67-billion EMC Corp deal, creating the world's largest privately-controlled technology company. “This combination creates a $74-billion market leader", Dell Technologies Founder Michael Dell said. Dell along with its partner firm Silver Lake raised over $40 billion in debt for the merger, announced in October 2015.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 08:30 am on 08 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

iPhone 7 to launch in India at ₹60,000 on October 7

short by Twishy Shahi / 08:17 am on 08 Sep 2016,Thursday

Tech giant Apple on Wednesday announced that the newly launched iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be available in India from October 7 with prices starting at ₹60,000 for the 32 GB variant. Both the models will be available in silver, gold, rose gold, black and jet black colours in 32 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB variants.

short by Twishy Shahi / 08:17 am on 08 Sep

read more at Apple

Apple unveils iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus

short by Abhishek Bansal / 12:22 am on 08 Sep 2016,Thursday

Apple on Wednesday unveiled the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, both without the headphone jack. Apple also introduced 'AirPods', wireless earphones with built-in sensors to detect when the pods are plugged in. The water and dust-resistant phones have a redesigned force-sensitive home button. Available in five colours, iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are priced at $649 and $769 respectively.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 12:22 am on 08 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Apple accidentally leaks iPhone 7 on Twitter

short by Twishy Shahi / 11:12 pm on 07 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Tech giant Apple’s Twitter account accidentally leaked the new iPhone 7 ahead of its launch on Wednesday. Apple's official account tweeted, "New cameras. Water-resistant. Stereo speakers. Longer battery life. This is 7." It also revealed that the phone is available for pre-orders starting September 16. However, the tweet was removed after a few minutes.

short by Twishy Shahi / 11:12 pm on 07 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Smart urinal for men automates cleaning process

short by Amritanshu Anand / 10:32 pm on 07 Sep 2016,Wednesday

A new bathroom gadget Urinary 2.0 comes with a bidet that automates the cleaning process after urinating, making it entirely hands-free. The urinal has sensors that monitor the stream and activate the cleaning mechanism. Still in its prototype stage, the smart urinal also sprays soapy water for three seconds and dries the area afterwards.

short by Amritanshu Anand / 10:32 pm on 07 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Mercedes unveils delivery vans that launch drones

short by Vani Vivek / 07:48 pm on 07 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Mercedes-Benz along with drone-making startup Matternet on Wednesday unveiled 'Vision Van' concept, an automated cargo van with integrated drones. Vision Van's rooftop serves as the launch and landing pad for drones that can carry packages weighing 2 kg across 20 km. The electric van can load cargo and change batteries without human intervention.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:48 pm on 07 Sep

read more at YouTube

Land Rover unveils world's first smart seat feature

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:19 pm on 07 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Automaker Land Rover has unveiled world's first smart seat feature in its new Discovery, which lets owners reconfigure their vehicle seating from anywhere with an app. Land Rover claims that the app lets customers adjust the layout of the seats inside the car in 14 seconds. Adventurer Bear Grylls demonstrated the feature mid-air after jumping out of an airplane.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:19 pm on 07 Sep

read more at YouTube

Video shows Steve Jobs introducing the iPod nano

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:31 pm on 07 Sep 2016,Wednesday

A nine-minute YouTube video shows Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs introducing the portable media player iPod nano, 11 years ago on September 7, 2005, calling it "the biggest revolution since the original iPod.” Thinner than a standard pencil and weighing only 1.5 ounces, the iPod nano was capable of carrying a 'thousand songs in your pocket'.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:31 pm on 07 Sep

read more at YouTube

Note 7 explosion causes damage worth $1,400 in hotel

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:13 pm on 07 Sep 2016,Wednesday

An Australian man, going by the name Crushader on Reddit, has claimed that his Samsung Galaxy Note 7 exploded in his hotel room while charging, causing $1,400 worth of damage. This is reportedly the first case of a Galaxy Note 7 explosion in Australia. The technology giant has announced a global recall of the device following similar complaints worldwide.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:13 pm on 07 Sep

read more at The Guardian

You are giving false information: Malware owner to IBM

short by Vani Vivek / 05:40 pm on 07 Sep 2016,Wednesday

An IBM Executive Security Advisor on Tuesday said that she had received an email from the owner and developer of an Android malware saying that IBM was "giving false information on (its) website" about his 'Bilal Bot' malware. The developer also said that he was willing to give the company an interview to correctly update their blog on the malware.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:40 pm on 07 Sep

read more at YouTube

Carrying soft copy of driving licence now sufficient

short by Ankur Vyas / 05:15 pm on 07 Sep 2016,Wednesday

According to a facility launched on Wednesday, drivers would not be required to carry their driving licence and registration certificate, but can store them in 'DigiLocker', the secured national digital locker system. The soft copy can then be verified by traffic police and law enforcement agencies when required. Notably, DigiLocker helps in consolidating all important documents in digital form.

short by Ankur Vyas / 05:15 pm on 07 Sep

Google to let users buy clothes directly from Search

short by Vani Vivek / 04:39 pm on 07 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Google on Tuesday said that it was rolling out 'Shop the Look', a tool that provides users with purchase links to clothes and accessories directly from the Search page. Users will be able to search for terms like "summer dress" and "cocktail attire" to view a gallery of outfits from which they can buy the featured products.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:39 pm on 07 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

No longer 'data poor': Google India MD on Reliance Jio

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:28 pm on 07 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Google's Managing Director for South East Asia and India, Rajan Anandan has praised Reliance Jio 4G Internet, by tweeting, "I have been "data poor" at home. Yes 5Mbps is what I got at home. Until today that is:-) @reliancejio to rescue." He also added, "Home broadband 5Mbps; #Jio4G 36 Mbps. Simply love the world of @reliancejio."

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:28 pm on 07 Sep

read more at India Today

Google responds to Chrome's battery life complaints

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:13 pm on 07 Sep 2016,Wednesday

Google has responded to Microsoft's claims on Chrome's battery life being below-par, by posting a video that shows the newly launched Chrome 53 offering 2 hours and 12 minutes of additional runtime compared to Chrome 46. Microsoft's testing had earlier favoured its browser Edge over Chrome and reportedly sent notifications in Windows 10 encouraging Chrome users to switch to Edge.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:13 pm on 07 Sep

read more at YouTube

First phone to ship with Android Nougat unveiled

short by Vani Vivek / 03:57 pm on 07 Sep 2016,Wednesday

LG on Tuesday unveiled LG V20, the first smartphone to ship with Android's latest version, Nougat. The smartphone has a 5.7-inch screen, 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal memory. Powered by a Snapdragon 820 processor, LG V20 has dual-cameras on both the front and rear. However, the price of the smartphone has not been announced.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:57 pm on 07 Sep

read more at Engadget

‘Pokemon Go’ hurts religious sentiments: PIL

short by Tarun Khanna / 03:53 pm on 07 Sep 2016,Wednesday

The Gujarat High Court has issued notices to the Centre, state and the US-based Niantic Inc over a PIL filed against the location-based augmented reality game ‘Pokemon Go’ for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. The petitioner has argued that in the game, images of eggs appear in the places of worship of Hindus and Jains which is considered “blasphemous”.

short by Tarun Khanna / 03:53 pm on 07 Sep

read more at Twitter

First barcode was created on sand on Miami beach

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:14 pm on 06 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Norman Joseph Woodland, co-inventor of the barcode, got the idea for the sorting technology while sitting on Miami beach in 1949. While running his fingers through sand creating lines, the inventor realised that it would be possible to encode information using simple lines on paper, similar to Morse code. September 6 marks Woodland's 95th birth anniversary.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:14 pm on 06 Sep

read more at Google

First item purchased using barcode was a chewing gum

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:44 pm on 06 Sep 2016,Tuesday

The first time barcode was used for a purchase was for a package of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum at Marsh Supermarket in Ohio, US in 1974. The bar codes are scanned over 5 billion times every day across the world for easy sorting, pricing, and checking-out. Notably, the co-inventor of barcode Norman Joseph Woodland was born on September 6, 1921.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:44 pm on 06 Sep

read more at Google

Over 1.6 mn Galaxy Note 7 prone to battery explosion

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:38 pm on 06 Sep 2016,Tuesday

A new report claims that over 1.6 million units of Samsung's latest Galaxy Note 7 smartphone are prone to the explosion of the battery. This comes shortly after Samsung announced a worldwide recall of the smartphone after confirming 35 cases of battery explosions. Analysts have estimated that the recall would cost the South Korean electronics major around $1 billion.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:38 pm on 06 Sep

read more at Google

Phone sent up on balloon for record attempt

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 07:22 pm on 06 Sep 2016,Tuesday

A Huawei Honor 8 smartphone was attached to a balloon and set off into the sky on Monday in Sweden, in an attempt to set a record for the highest livestream from a smartphone. Huawei Technologies' Peter Lundkvist said the balloon burst at an altitude of 18,421 metres, adding, "Hopefully, Guinness (World Records) will accept this as a world record".

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 07:22 pm on 06 Sep

read more at Reuters

Zuckerberg shares old picture as FB News Feed turns 10

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:28 pm on 06 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Facebook Co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday shared an old picture as Facebook's News Feed completed 10 years since it went live on the social media platform. "This invention is one of my favorite stories from Facebook's history," said Zuckerberg in a post. The News Feed feature was launched two years after Facebook was introduced.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:28 pm on 06 Sep

read more at Google

Google's 26 Tbps undersea cable goes live in Asia

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:01 pm on 06 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Google on Tuesday made its 26 Tbps high-speed undersea cable live in Asia linking Japan on to Taiwan. "Just how fast is 26 Tbps? Every 15 seconds, every person in Taiwan could send a selfie of themselves to a friend in Japan," said Google. The new cable will allow Google services like Gmail and YouTube to load faster in Asia.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:01 pm on 06 Sep

read more at Google Blog

Hackers put 8,00,000 Brazzers accounts details online

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:11 pm on 06 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Around 8,00,000 account details of porn site Brazzers were put online by hackers recently, which included usernames, email addresses and plaintext passwords. The recent leak is being attributed to a 2012 data breach at 'Brazzersforum', a forum created for Brazzers users. Brazzers PR Manager has confirmed the data leak.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:11 pm on 06 Sep

read more at The Next Web

GoQii leads India's wearable market in Q2 2016

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:10 pm on 06 Sep 2016,Tuesday

US-based fitness wearable maker GoQii has topped the India's wearable market in Q2 2016 with 16.1% share, according to an IDC report. Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi slipped to the second position during this period with 10.3% market share. American company Fitbit took the third place in the market with 6.7% share.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:10 pm on 06 Sep

read more at India Today

Smartphone malware up 96% in 2016: Nokia

short by Vani Vivek / 04:06 pm on 06 Sep 2016,Tuesday

According to a report by Finnish technology company Nokia, the average smartphone infection rate rose 96% in the first half of 2016, compared to the second half of 2015. April 2016 witnessed an all-time high in terms of mobile devices affected, with one out of every 120 smartphones around the globe being infected with some type of malware.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:06 pm on 06 Sep

Paris hosts its first drone festival

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 04:05 pm on 06 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Paris hosted its first drone festival at the Champs-Élysées avenue on Sunday, with citizens participating in a race and guiding their drones through an obstacle course. The postal service also demonstrated its 3.7-kilogram delivery drone during the festival. The City Hall allowed civilians to fly their drones during the event, as they are otherwise forbidden from flying them over Paris.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 04:05 pm on 06 Sep

read more at Google

New Google website to help Indians save money: Report

short by Vani Vivek / 03:02 pm on 06 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Technology giant Google is reportedly working on a website called 'Bharat Saves' to provide information about financial planning to Indians to help save money. The report claims that Google wants 'Bharat Saves' to be a part of government's financial inclusion scheme 'Jan Dhan Yojana' launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:02 pm on 06 Sep

read more at India Today

Startup makes solar-powered bags that charge phones

short by Vani Vivek / 02:54 pm on 06 Sep 2016,Tuesday

US-based startup BirkSun has made solar-powered backpacks which can be used to charge smartphones or tablets. The startup claims the bag can generate 1% smartphone battery power for every 3 minutes that the solar panels are in sunlight. Priced at $249, the solar-powered backpacks are waterproof.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:54 pm on 06 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Customized playlists for Apple Music subscribers

short by Satyaki Das / 12:17 am on 06 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Apple has begun rolling out personalised music playlists to Apple Music subscribers on iOS 10 and Mac OS Sierra, which are in beta-test mode. The 'My New Music Mix' playlist offers 25 tracks selected based on users' listening preferences, with new tunes updated once every week. This comes ahead of Apples's expected iPhone launch event on September 7.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:17 am on 06 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Studio creates VR that responds to user's music

short by Satyaki Das / 12:07 am on 06 Sep 2016,Tuesday

Washington-based game studio Holospark has released 'The Impossible Travel Agency', a virtual reality experience that responds to music chosen by the user. The app's visuals include flowers that change colour like a music visualiser, and lightning that strikes based on the song's beat and pitch. The experience also matches the duration of the user-chosen soundtrack.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:07 am on 06 Sep

read more at VentureBeat

Google's upcoming device to have 4GB RAM: Report

short by Satyaki Das / 11:19 pm on 05 Sep 2016,Monday

According to reports, specifications for Google's upcoming smartphones were benchmarked on processor benchmark website Geekbench. The 5-inch Pixel and 5.5-inch Pixel XL are rumored to be named 'Pixel' and 'Pixel XL' respectively, and sport 4GB of RAM and Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processors. Both devices are being developed by HTC and are likely to be launched in October, reports added.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:19 pm on 05 Sep

Sony's new action camera can shoot 4K time-lapse

short by Satyaki Das / 10:18 pm on 05 Sep 2016,Monday

Sony has unveiled the FDR-X3000R, an action camera capable of shooting time-lapse videos in 4K. The device features Sony's Balance Optical SteadyShot technology to capture stabilised recordings even in jerky videos, reportedly the first for an action cam. The camera, which is based on an 8.2-megapixel sensor, can also be controlled through the free PlayMemories mobile app.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:18 pm on 05 Sep

SoftBank completes $32bn cash acquisition of ARM

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 09:02 pm on 05 Sep 2016,Monday

Japanese telecom major SoftBank Group on Monday announced the completion of the acquisition of British chip designer ARM Holdings for about $32 billion in cash, the biggest purchase of a European technology company. ARM, which shipped 15 billion microchips last year, specialises in designing microprocessors and graphics processing units (GPUs) for laptops, phones and tablets.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 09:02 pm on 05 Sep

read more at The Verge

Reliance Jio app to tell users of nearest WiFi hotspot

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:22 pm on 05 Sep 2016,Monday

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio 4G network, which is offering free service until December 31 this year, is also providing additional data through Jio WiFi internet hotspots. The company has launched a 'JioNet' app, which tells users about their nearest Jio Wifi hotspot in case the users run out of data. However, the WiFi usage has limited time and data quota.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:22 pm on 05 Sep

HSBC to let customers open bank account with selfie

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:58 pm on 05 Sep 2016,Monday

Banking multi-national HSBC will enable business customers to open new accounts by taking a selfie, a move aimed at streamlining its application process. The clients using the bank’s mobile application will be required to take a self-portrait using phone's front camera, which will then be cross-checked with the image on the ID using proprietary facial tracking technology.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:58 pm on 05 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Qualcomm unveils all-in-one VR headset

short by Satyaki Das / 07:53 pm on 05 Sep 2016,Monday

Chipmaker Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon VR820, a standalone Virtual Reality (VR) headset developed in collaboration with Chinese firm Goertek. The device, based on Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 820 mobile processor, has two cameras for eye tracking at a resolution of 1,440 x 1,440 pixels, and "inside out" tracking that can measure head position without external camera systems.

short by Satyaki Das / 07:53 pm on 05 Sep

read more at The Verge

Startup makes smart belt that tracks fitness

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:40 pm on 05 Sep 2016,Monday

Technology major Samsung's spinoff startup has developed a $119 smart waist belt that measures a user's waist size, counts steps taken and tracks sitting time. The collected data is available on a dedicated app for the belt, which also monitors overeating patterns. Made for both men and women, the belt has a battery life of up to 20 days.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:40 pm on 05 Sep

read more at YouTube

Smartphone cover with in-built selfie stick made

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:20 pm on 05 Sep 2016,Monday

An Israeli startup has built a $40 smartphone case called 'StickBox' that comes with a full-length in-built selfie stick. It slides out from the rear of the case and extends to a 28-inch long aluminium selfie stick with a button that snaps photos on pressing. The company is planning to launch another cover with light-weight carbon fiber selfie stick.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:20 pm on 05 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Man caught after putting his wanted poster on Facebook

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:19 pm on 05 Sep 2016,Monday

A 42-year-old fugitive charged for possessing marijuana was arrested in Florida after he changed his Facebook profile picture to a wanted poster of himself. The poster showed the man's mug shot and other details. "I wish he would take it down! The cops use Facebook now!" one of his family members had commented on the picture.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:19 pm on 05 Sep

read more at Daily Mail

Google Maps gets a 'Catching Pokémon' feature

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:17 pm on 05 Sep 2016,Monday

Google Maps has received a 'Catching Pokémon' feature on the Android app that allows users to indicate when and where they have been playing Pokémon Go. Available under the 'Your Timeline' option in the Google Maps, the feature indicates the distance a user has covered while playing the game. Notably, Pokémon Go doesn’t offer a tracking functionality yet.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:17 pm on 05 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Israeli firm's shares hit 10-yr low post SpaceX blast

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:18 pm on 05 Sep 2016,Monday

Israeli communications satellite operator Spacecom's shares hit a 10-year low after its satellite Amos-6 was destroyed during SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket's explosion at the launch site in Florida last week. Spacecom's shares plunged as much as 49%, the most on record, before closing at a 33% drop. The company is seeking $50 million or a free space flight from SpaceX.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:18 pm on 05 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Only 7% Indians met via dating apps: Inshorts Poll

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:11 pm on 05 Sep 2016,Monday

According to Inshorts Youth of the Nation Poll 2, only 7% Indians have met someone through dating apps. While 67% Indians never met a person using an app, 26% said that they have never used a dating app. Relatively, employed professionals aged between 25-35 were more likely to meet someone through a dating app than students aged below 25.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:11 pm on 05 Sep

read more at Reuters

Galaxy Note 7 recall to cost Samsung around $1 bn

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:01 pm on 05 Sep 2016,Monday

Samsung's worldwide recall of its latest Galaxy Note 7 smartphone over battery explosion cases will cost the company around $1 billion or less, according to analysts. The amount is expected to be spent by Samsung to replace 2.5 million handsets shipped by the company. The amount represents less than 5% of Samsung’s projected net income of $20.6 billion this year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:01 pm on 05 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Apple tax decision based on facts: EU's Juncker

short by Mansha Mahajan / 11:22 am on 05 Sep 2016,Monday

The EU's decision that Apple pay a record $14.5 billion tax bill to Ireland was based on facts and existing rules and was not aimed against the US, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Sunday. The investigations on taxation mainly targeted European companies, Juncker added. Earlier, the tech giant's CEO Tim Cook described the decision as "total political crap".

short by Mansha Mahajan / 11:22 am on 05 Sep

read more at Reuters

Xerox's new inkjet can print on 3D objects

short by Rini Kapoor / 01:59 am on 05 Sep 2016,Monday

American corporation Xerox has developed an inkjet printer which is claimed to print photos, images and text directly on almost all 3D objects. The 'Direct to Object Inkjet Printer' uses algorithms to control microscopic-nozzles to print on smooth, rough and curved surfaces made from plastic, metal and glass. The printer costs $145,000 and prints with resolution up to 1,200 DPI.

short by Rini Kapoor / 01:59 am on 05 Sep

read more at YouTube

Pokémon Go introduces ‘Buddy Pokémon’ system

short by Satyaki Das / 12:52 am on 05 Sep 2016,Monday

Pokémon Go creator Niantic has introduced a ‘Buddy Pokémon’ system, enabling users to pick a favourite Pokémon from their collection. The buddy Pokémon will appear alongside the users' avatar inside the game, and will help open new in-game rewards. The game, which is the fastest to 50 million downloads, recently saw a decline in daily active users by 15 million.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:52 am on 05 Sep

Razer, Maingear launch special edition gaming PC

short by Satyaki Das / 10:14 pm on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

Gaming technology company Razer has unveiled 'R1 Razer Edition', a gaming PC it has developed in collaboration with custom PC manufacturer Maingear. The R1 can be customised to include liquid cooling, a 10-core i7 processor, dual Nvidia Titan X video cards, 128 GB RAM and a 1.2 TB solid-state drive. The setup has been launched starting at $999.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:14 pm on 04 Sep

read more at YouTube

Razer launches first 'Mecha-Membrane' keyboard

short by Satyaki Das / 10:04 pm on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

Gaming technology firm Razer has launched a gaming keyboard, Ornata Chroma, based on its new 'Mecha-Membrane' technology. It combines traditional mechanical switches for reliability and modern laptop-style membrane buttons for smooth pressing. Equipped with a simultaneous 10-key pressing feature, the $100 keyboard also sports a 16.8 million colour backlight system with interactive in-game effects.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:04 pm on 04 Sep

read more at VentureBeat

Google's first patent is still assigned to Stanford

short by Vani Vivek / 09:42 pm on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

The first patent applied for by Google Co-founders for their search algorithm 'PageRank' is still registered to their alma mater Stanford University. To get an exclusive long-term patent license for PageRank, Google gave Stanford 1.8 million shares in its stock, which the university reportedly sold for $336 million in 2005. Google was incorporated 18 years ago on September 4, 1998.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:42 pm on 04 Sep

read more at YouTube

Noise-cancelling earphones with lightning port made

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:09 pm on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

Denmark-based electronics company Libratone has made a pair of noise-cancelling earphones which have a lightning port at one of its ends. The earphones claim to automatically adjust the noise cancellation level based on the user's environment. Notably, Apple's next iPhone is rumoured to not have a headphone jack.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:09 pm on 04 Sep

read more at Engadget

Circular navigation accessory for scooters made

short by Satyaki Das / 08:02 pm on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

Amsterdam-based digital mapping company TomTom has unveiled a circular satellite navigation system VIO, designed for scooters. It is a waterproof device that displays turn-by-turn directions and has a built-in speed warning which turns red upon exceeding the speed limit. The device, which connects to rider’s phone wirelessly, also comes with customisable snap-on covers to match scooter's colour.

short by Satyaki Das / 08:02 pm on 04 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Larry Page tried to sell Google for $1 million in 1999

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:42 pm on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

Google Co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin were willing to sell Google for around $1 million to internet portal Excite in 1999, but Excite rejected the offer. Interestingly, the market cap of Google's parent company Alphabet is currently worth over $500 billion, making it the world's second most valued company. Google was incorporated 18 years ago on September 4, 1998.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:42 pm on 04 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Drop partners with Bosch to make smart ovens

short by Satyaki Das / 06:56 pm on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

Dublin-based kitchen technology firm Drop has partnered with German electronics manufacturer Bosch to bring remote monitoring functionality to ovens. Bosch Series 8 oven users will be able to monitor key parameters like time, temperature, and settings via Drop's Recipes app. The partnership is expected to extend to other kitchen appliances, for example, remotely checking a fridge's contents.

short by Satyaki Das / 06:56 pm on 04 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Startup makes ring that turns pen digital

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:43 pm on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

A French startup has created a ring that can turn any pen or pencil digital, and transfer anything written or drawn on a paper to a computer screen in real-time. The ring makes the pen or pencil compatible with a special slate to place the paper on, which has 32 sensors that track the exact position of the user's pen.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:43 pm on 04 Sep

read more at YouTube

Dubai unveils its first driverless bus service

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:27 pm on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

Dubai recently unveiled its first ever driverless bus service, which will be deployed in the city for a month-long trial period. The service includes 10-seater electric buses that can travel at a speed of 40 kmph. The bus can adapt its speed to the surrounding environment and even come to a complete halt if a pedestrian crosses its path.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:27 pm on 04 Sep

read more at Phys

Chinese firm debuts 98-inch 8K television at $55,000

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:24 pm on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

Chinese electronic firm Changhong on Saturday debuted a 98-inch television with 8K display in Berlin, priced at $55,000. The television runs on Android, supports High Dynamic Range (HDR) and comes with a Dolby Digital Plus sound system. Japanese electronics company Sharp had released an 85-inch 8K television last year which cost $133,000.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:24 pm on 04 Sep

read more at Mashable

Google homepage is simple as founders didn’t know HTML

short by Vani Vivek / 04:30 pm on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

The homepage of the world’s largest search engine Google looks bare because its founders had limited knowledge of HTML. "We didn't have a webmaster and I don't do HTML," Google Co-founder Sergey Brin was once quoted as saying. Google was incorporated on September 4, 1998 and still maintains the minimalistic look.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:30 pm on 04 Sep

read more at Google

Hyperloop shows its test track site for first time

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:21 pm on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

High-speed transportation system making company Hyperloop One recently showed its test track site in Nevada's desert for the first time. "Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads... #TheFutureIsHappening", tweeted Hyperloop One. The company is building a transportation system that will let people travel in pods running through vacuum tubes at speeds of over 1000 kmph.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:21 pm on 04 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Google project lets AI design personality-based attire

short by Vani Vivek / 03:54 pm on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

Google has partnered with Berlin-based e-commerce firm Zalando for 'Project Muze', an experiment that lets an algorithm design clothes for users according to their personality. The machine learning software designs attires based on five questions answered by the users on the project's website. Three Project Muze designs will be showcased as real-life clothes in a fashion show next week.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:54 pm on 04 Sep

read more at Trak.in

Tokyo's Haneda airport testing robot assistants

short by Satyaki Das / 02:46 pm on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

Tokyo's Haneda airport is experimenting with Hitachi's EMIEW3 humanoid robot assistants in its passenger terminal. For a two-week period, the robots will direct visitors to an information display, and answer questions in both English and Japanese. This precedes a full scale robot assistant program due to start later this year, in which robots will physically guide users to desired locations.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:46 pm on 04 Sep

read more at Engadget

Gmail launch was thought to be an April Fools' prank

short by Vani Vivek / 02:37 pm on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

Google launched its email service, Gmail, on April 1, 2004, leading to speculation that it may be one of the company's annual April Fools' pranks. The claim of 1 GB free storage was seen as suspicious and some media houses even called the Gmail press release 'goofy'. Google was incorporated on September 4, 1998.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:37 pm on 04 Sep

read more at Google

Yamaha unveils world's first multi-room piano

short by Satyaki Das / 01:34 pm on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

Yamaha has unveiled what it claims to be the world's first piano audible from all rooms in a house, and even outdoors. The Japanese musical instrument maker has incorporated its MusicCast wireless multi-room audio system to Enspire, its latest generation of Disklavier acoustic pianos. With built-in access to more than 500 songs, the Enspire can be controlled via Yamaha's app.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:34 pm on 04 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

LG Electronics to invest in robot technology

short by Mansha Mahajan / 10:06 am on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

South Korea-based LG Electronics on Sunday said it will "aggressively" invest in the robotics industry, with an aim to utilise advancing artificial intelligence to develop sophisticated products that could perform everyday human tasks. The company will invest in smart home products that will work closely with home appliances like refrigerators, washers and air conditioning units, a statement read.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 10:06 am on 04 Sep

read more at Reuters

Sphero launches 'battle-worn' Star Wars robot toy

short by Satyaki Das / 05:24 am on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

Robot toy maker Sphero has launched a "battle-worn" version of its Star Wars BB-8 toy droid. The rolling ball robot can be controlled using a 'Force Band' wrist-wearable device via hand gestures. The robot, which also has built-in speakers for added sound effects, bundled with the Force Band is available for pre-order at $199.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:24 am on 04 Sep

read more at YouTube

Alienware unveils VR-ready gaming laptop series

short by Satyaki Das / 04:56 am on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

Dell's Alienware has unveiled a redesigned gaming laptop series that include compatibility with VR headsets, which will be launched later this month. The series includes 13,15 and 17-inch laptops that will feature Nvidia's new 10-series graphics processors, and can be configured with quad-core Core-i7 processors, 32 GB RAM, and 1 TB storage. The 17-inch model also features an eye-tracking system.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:56 am on 04 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Philips launches its first 4K OLED TV

short by Satyaki Das / 12:26 am on 04 Sep 2016,Sunday

Amsterdam-based TP Vision, which sells Philips-branded TV sets, has launched Philips' first 4K OLED TV, the '901F'. The 55-inch television set features Philips' Perfect Pixel Ultra HD engine with a processing power of four billion pixels, and Philips' Ambilight technology which produces a back-lighting effect on three sides of the TV in accordance with the colours on the screen.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:26 am on 04 Sep

read more at Engadget

Dictionary.com launches its own FB Messenger bot

short by Satyaki Das / 11:25 pm on 03 Sep 2016,Saturday

Dictionary.com has launched a Facebook Messenger bot to allow users to look up word meanings. The bot responds to a single word and full sentence questions, and provides additional information through a link to its website. The firm reportedly made the bot partly to cater to users who are hesitant to download standalone apps.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:25 pm on 03 Sep

read more at VentureBeat

LG builds world's largest OLED tunnel

short by Rahul Raj / 08:23 pm on 03 Sep 2016,Saturday

LG has built the world's largest OLED tunnel at an industry meet in Berlin to mark the 50th anniversary of the first TV it produced. The record-breaking structure, which is 5m tall, 7.4m wide and 15m long, is made up of 216 separate 55-inch curved OLED displays. The 450-million pixel display showcases Aurora Borealis, underwater ecosystems and deep space footage.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:23 pm on 03 Sep

read more at YouTube

Apple, Google back Microsoft in suit against US govt

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:18 pm on 03 Sep 2016,Saturday

Apple, Google and Amazon on Friday supported Microsoft in a lawsuit against the US government. The lawsuit aims to take down a law preventing companies from telling customers if government is seeking their data. Microsoft claims it received 2,600 court orders in the past 18 months prohibiting it from informing customers that their data is being sought by the government.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:18 pm on 03 Sep

read more at VentureBeat

Hackers bring back banned Twitter accounts

short by Rahul Raj / 08:13 pm on 03 Sep 2016,Saturday

A hacker group called 'Spain Squad' managed to bring back several Twitter accounts which the micro-blogging platform had suspended. The group claims that the exploit used to reactivate the banned accounts could also be used to control active accounts, change Twitter handles and suspend accounts on Twitter's behalf. Twitter has reportedly re-suspended the accounts which the hackers had activated.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:13 pm on 03 Sep

read more at The Next Web

Samsung to swap Galaxy Note 7 devices with S7, Edge

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:55 pm on 03 Sep 2016,Saturday

South Korean electronics major Samsung will allow Galaxy Note 7 smartphone owners in the US to exchange their devices with either Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge smartphones. The company will start exchanging the devices from next week. Just over two weeks after Galaxy Note 7's launch, Samsung on Friday stopped the smartphone's sales globally over cases of battery explosions.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:55 pm on 03 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

eBay HQ buildings are named after website's categories

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:48 pm on 03 Sep 2016,Saturday

The seven buildings at eBay’s headquarters in California, US are all named after categories on the website, namely Collectibles, Jewellery, Motors, Music, Sports, Technology, and Toys. Further, the conference rooms in the Music building are named after instruments, while those in the Sports building are named after stadiums and players. Notably, eBay was founded on September 3, 1995.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:48 pm on 03 Sep

read more at Google

John McAfee sues Intel over right to use his name

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:57 pm on 03 Sep 2016,Saturday

Anti-virus software McAfee's creator John McAfee has sued Intel over the company's warning to not use his name in new ventures. Intel bought McAfee software in 2010 and renamed it 'Intel Security'. While McAfee is planning to rename a digital gaming company as 'John McAfee Global Technologies', Intel says that any use of his name will infringe the company’s trademarks.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:57 pm on 03 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Sony projector turns any surface into touchscreen

short by Rahul Raj / 03:28 pm on 03 Sep 2016,Saturday

Sony has introduced a new smart product in its Xperia range called 'Xperia Projector', which is capable of projecting a 21-inch touchable screen onto any surface. The projector is Android-powered, and can run games, maps and other apps. It also has a built-in camera for video conferencing. Sony has not yet revealed anything about its price or availability.

short by Rahul Raj / 03:28 pm on 03 Sep

read more at Mashable

LG puts 27-inch Windows 10 tablet on refrigerator door

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:56 pm on 03 Sep 2016,Saturday

South Korean electronics maker LG on Friday unveiled a refrigerator prototype with a 27-inch long Windows 10 tablet mounted on one of its doors. It's powered by an Intel Atom processor located at the top of the refrigerator. The tablet's surface turns translucent, revealing the fridge’s contents so that users can virtually pin things like purchase dates on the surface.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:56 pm on 03 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Mercedes, Microsoft working on 'In Car Office'

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:42 pm on 03 Sep 2016,Saturday

Luxury automaker Mercedes and technology major Microsoft are currently working on an 'In Car Office' project that will let owners complete work-related tasks while driving. The technology will sync a user's smartphone to integrate calendar, to-do list and contacts with car’s navigation. This will allow the car to access meetings' addresses and make work-related calls through in-car voice system.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:42 pm on 03 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Ireland to appeal against Apple's $14.5 bn tax bill

short by Mansha Mahajan / 09:35 am on 03 Sep 2016,Saturday

The Irish government decided on Friday to appeal against the European commission’s ruling that tech major Apple was given a favourable tax deal, and in turn should pay a record $14.5 billion tax penalty. Dublin is siding with the world’s richest company and rejecting the windfall amount for its treasury because it said it “disagrees profoundly” with the EU ruling.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 09:35 am on 03 Sep

read more at The Guardian

Snapdeal launches own cloud platform 'Cirrus'

short by Satyaki Das / 12:08 am on 03 Sep 2016,Saturday

E-tailer Snapdeal has launched its own private cloud platform called Cirrus, in an attempt to cut costs and enhance performance across its applications. Spanning across three data centre regions, with a server architecture of 1,00,000 cores and 16 PB of storage, the open-sourced Cirrus will analyse big data to build personalised and relevant consumer experiences, Snapdeal said in a statement.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:08 am on 03 Sep

read more at VCCircle

Daimler begins testing new logistics service

short by Satyaki Das / 11:55 pm on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

German automaker Daimler has begun testing its new 'smart ready to drop' logistics service to enable parcels to be delivered to the trunk of customers' cars. For this, Daimler has collaborated with DHL Paket and online retailers such as Amazon, among others. The service will comprise the “biggest in-car delivery test ever performed in Germany” according to Daimler.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:55 pm on 02 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

LG to partner with Amazon for smart homes

short by Satyaki Das / 11:37 pm on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

South Korea-based LG Electronics has said that it is partnering with Amazon to develop smart-home services. With the tie-up, LG could integrate Amazon's Alexa virtual assistant with its SmartThinkQ hub, which would enable homeowners to control their appliances via voice recognition technology. Also, Amazon’s Dash feature would allow smart features on common household appliances.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:37 pm on 02 Sep

read more at Reuters

LG unveils 38-inch curved gaming monitor

short by Satyaki Das / 11:29 pm on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

South Korea-based electronics company LG has unveiled the 38UC99, a 38-inch curved gaming monitor. The monitor features a 3,440 x 1,600 pixel Quad HD+ resolution, two built-in 10-watt Bluetooth speakers and a USB-C port, besides support for syncing an AMD graphics card for high-performance gaming. The monitor is priced at $1,500.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:29 pm on 02 Sep

read more at YouTube

Steve Jobs' wardrobe's 32 items put on auction

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:10 pm on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

Auction house Julien’s Live has put up 32 items from Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs' wardrobe for auction. The items include a turtle neck sweater, a leather jacket, shirts, documents, business cards, bow ties, bathrobe and Versace slacks with matching necktie among others. The most expensive item on the auction is a leather jacket that has a starting bid of $4,000.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:10 pm on 02 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Apple to remove abandoned apps from App Store

short by Vani Vivek / 08:45 pm on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

Apple on Thursday announced that it will start deleting 'problematic and abandoned' apps from the App Store. The company will review those apps which no longer function as intended, don’t follow review guidelines, or are outdated. Apple also said that it will limit names of new apps to 50 characters as long names are not fully displayed on the store.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:45 pm on 02 Sep

read more at The Verge

Ex-Google CEO resisted building Chrome for six years

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:38 pm on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt revealed that he resisted the idea of building the Chrome browser and OS for six years, before being persuaded by Co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page. "But there is no question I am hugely supportive of Chrome and Chrome OS. They are game-changers," said Schmidt. Notably, Chrome browser was first launched on September 2, 2008.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:38 pm on 02 Sep

read more at Google

Sony unveils $3,200 gold-plated Walkman

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:05 pm on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

Japanese electronics maker Sony on Thursday unveiled a $3,200 worth gold-plated Walkman. The new Walkman weighs around a pound and comes with 30 hours of battery life, side control keys, bluetooth connectivity and dual audio jacks. It has 256 GB of in-built memory that is enough to store up to 1600 high-resolution audio tracks.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:05 pm on 02 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Tinder's down, all love lost, tweets a user

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:51 pm on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

After dating app Tinder briefly crashed on Thursday following a new iOS update, a user tweeted, "Tinder's down. All love lost." Another user tweeted, "Tinder app update is a downdate." A user also tweeted, "Tinder is down so I am currently walking around the street swiping people's faces."

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:51 pm on 02 Sep

read more at Tweet Collection

SolarCity advisor miscalculated Tesla deal analysis

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:08 pm on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

The investment bank that advised SolarCity in its $2.6 billion sale to Tesla, Lazard made a mistake in its analysis and valued SolarCity $400 million less. During analysis, Lazard double-counted SolarCity's projected indebtedness. The mistake was discovered two weeks after the deal was signed. However, both the companies have agreed that the error won't change their view of the deal.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:08 pm on 02 Sep

read more at Reuters

Smart notepad turns handwriting into digital text

short by Vani Vivek / 07:07 pm on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

Luxury goods manufacturer Montblanc has unveiled an 'Augmented Paper' and smart pen set for $725, that lets users transfer handmade notes and sketches to smartphones through a connected app. The pen lasts for eight hours on a single charge and and can store up to 100 pages in its internal memory. According to Montblanc, the device can recognise 12 languages.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:07 pm on 02 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Samsung stops sale of Galaxy Note 7 globally

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:52 pm on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

South Korean electronics major Samsung has stopped the sales of its latest Galaxy Note 7 smartphone across all countries over battery explosion while charging. As of Thursday, 35 such cases have been reported. Over the coming weeks, Samsung said it will replace the current devices with a new one for the customers who already have Galaxy Note 7 devices.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:52 pm on 02 Sep

read more at Samsung

Elon Musk loses $779 million in a day

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:15 pm on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

Tesla Co-founder and CEO Elon Musk on Thursday lost $779 million following a drop in the stock prices of companies Tesla and SolarCity. Further, Musk put up an additional $489 million of his Tesla and SolarCity stocks as collateral to secure personal borrowings. According to Bloomberg, Musk's current net worth is $8.3 billion.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:15 pm on 02 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

'Deeply disappointed over SpaceX's launch failure'

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:01 pm on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a post on Thursday said, "I'm deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceX's launch failure destroyed our satellite." The satellite, which cost around $95 million, was Facebook's first satellite aimed at providing spot-beam broadband for the company's Internet.org initiative. However, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket carrying the satellite exploded during a test launch in US.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:01 pm on 02 Sep

read more at Facebook

Google may rename 'Nexus' smartphones 'Pixel'

short by Vani Vivek / 03:47 pm on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

According to reports, Google is dropping the 'Nexus' brand name from its devices and will instead name its two upcoming smartphones 'Pixel' and 'Pixel XL'. Google has previously branded its Chromebooks and an Android tablet as Pixel. Rumours suggest that Google will launch these smartphones in an event on October 4 along with a 4K-enabled Chromecast and Daydream VR headset.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:47 pm on 02 Sep

read more at The Verge

Apple activates its Twitter account

short by Vani Vivek / 02:23 pm on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

Apple has activated its Twitter account, which was originally created in 2011, ahead of the launch of its latest offering, the iPhone 7 on September 7. Apple recently changed the profile photo and header image of its Twitter account for the first time. While the company is yet to post its first tweet, it has garnered over 80,000 followers.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:23 pm on 02 Sep

read more at Engadget

Zuckerberg sells $95 mn Facebook shares for charity

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:21 pm on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has sold $95 million worth of his Facebook shares for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Another $95 million worth of shares were sold by Zuckerberg earlier in August. A joint initiative by Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan, the foundation invests in companies working towards social causes after the couple pledged to donate 99% of their Facebook shares.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:21 pm on 02 Sep

read more at Forbes

Google suspends modular phone Project Ara: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:19 pm on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

Google has reportedly suspended its Project Ara, an initiative to make modular smartphones with interchangeable modules for components like camera and battery. The company is said to not make the smartphone itself, but license the technology to other partners. The decision is an effort to unify Google's hardware development. Earlier this year, Google announced to launch the smartphone in 2017.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:19 pm on 02 Sep

read more at The Verge

Apple introduces Siri-integrated apps in iOS 10

short by Rahul Raj / 11:00 am on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

Apple on Thursday introduced the first Siri-integrated apps which will arrive in the upcoming release of iOS 10. The company made this possible through a new toolkit, SiriKit, which will help developers build extensions to enable their apps communicate with Siri. Siri will be able to handle voice and text inputs to process users' requests like booking cabs through Uber.

short by Rahul Raj / 11:00 am on 02 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Lego unveils official 'Rogue One' toy sets

short by Satyaki Das / 02:07 am on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

Denmark-based toy manufacturer Lego has unveiled its official 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' toy sets. They include characters like the Imperial Death Trooper, the droid K-2SO and Sergeant Jyn Erso, besides five vehicle kits including retro versions of the X-Wing, TIE Fighter and Imperial Shuttle. The movie, 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story', is set to release this December.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:07 am on 02 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

'Super Mario Maker' game coming to Nintendo 3DS

short by Satyaki Das / 01:49 am on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

Japanese game-maker Nintendo will introduce its 'Super Mario Maker' game to its portable game console, Nintendo 3DS, which will be available from December 2. 'Super Mario Maker' is a game creation system that allows players to create and play their own custom levels based on previous Mario versions. The game also lets players share their custom levels with their peers.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:49 am on 02 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Withings launches heart rate monitoring watch

short by Satyaki Das / 01:45 am on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

Nokia-owned electronics company Withings has launched its first watch that includes a heart rate monitor. The smart watch titled Steel HR features an analog two-hand display combined with a digital sub-dial to relay health data and basic smartphone notifications. The watch, which offers a 25-day battery life with additional 20 days on power saving mode, is priced starting at $179.95.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:45 am on 02 Sep

read more at Engadget

IBM creates 1st-ever AI-made movie trailer

short by Rahul Raj / 01:17 am on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

IBM's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Watson has created the first-ever AI-made movie trailer, for an upcoming 20th Century Fox movie 'Morgan'. Scientists fed Watson with 100 horror movie trailers, on which the supercomputer performed visual, audio and composition analysis to find what people find scary. The AI then selected ten scenes from the full movie for a human editor to arrange.

short by Rahul Raj / 01:17 am on 02 Sep

read more at YouTube

Xiaomi launches its own mobile payment service

short by Satyaki Das / 12:17 am on 02 Sep 2016,Friday

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi on Thursday launched its own mobile payment service, the 'Mi Pay'. The service can hold up to eight cards per user, recognises debit and credit cards from 20 domestic banks, and can be used for public transportation trips across six cities in China. It is currently available in China, and works only with the Mi 5.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:17 am on 02 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket explodes on launch pad

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:49 pm on 01 Sep 2016,Thursday

Elon Musk-led aerospace manufacturer SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket exploded during a test on a launch pad in Florida, US, on Thursday. The blast, which destroyed the unmanned vehicle and its payload, was reported to be caused by an anomaly. The rocket was set to launch on Saturday with Facebook's first satellite, aimed at providing spot-beam broadband for its Internet.org initiative.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:49 pm on 01 Sep

read more at TechCrunch

Twitter jumps after Co-founder hints acquisition

short by Vani Vivek / 08:35 pm on 01 Sep 2016,Thursday

Twitter stock jumped 5.8% on Wednesday after Co-founder Evan Williams admitted that the company must "consider the right options" when asked if Twitter will remain independent. Twitter's shares traded at a two-week high of $19.60 amid merger and acquisition rumours. In the second quarter of 2016, the company had reported its slowest revenue growth since going public.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:35 pm on 01 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Samsung valuation drops $7 bn over battery explosions

short by Vani Vivek / 07:57 pm on 01 Sep 2016,Thursday

South Korean electronics company Samsung witnessed a $7 billion drop in its market value on Thursday after the company delayed shipments of its Galaxy Note 7 following reports of battery explosions. Samsung has not officially disclosed the problem but said shipments of its latest flagship device were halted to "ensure product quality".

short by Vani Vivek / 07:57 pm on 01 Sep

read more at Reuters

Irish youth litter ruling party's office with apples

short by Vani Vivek / 07:27 pm on 01 Sep 2016,Thursday

Following reports that the Irish government is planning to appeal the $14.5 billion ruling against Apple, the opposition party's youth wing littered the ruling party's headquarters with apples. "Government is willing to spend taxpayers' money to let Apple off the hook," said a party member. European Commission's probe revealed that Ireland offered Apple tax benefits unavailable to other companies.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:27 pm on 01 Sep

read more at Mashable

FB shows vomit sticker when searching for ‘feminism'

short by Vani Vivek / 07:23 pm on 01 Sep 2016,Thursday

Facebook has apologised for a 'bug' on Messenger that suggests the vomit sticker when searching for 'liberals' or 'feminism', after it was pointed out by users through Twitter. The company said that the search algorithm was being fixed to rectify the problem. The algorithm is built to suggest the most appropriate stickers when a particular keyword is searched for.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:23 pm on 01 Sep

read more at Mashable

Smart watchband lets users make calls by touching ear

short by Vani Vivek / 04:29 pm on 01 Sep 2016,Thursday

South Korean startup Innomdle Lab has created 'Sgnl', a watchband that lets users make phone calls by touching their fingers to their ear. The strap, which has a built-in mic, connects to phones via Bluetooth and directs audio into the user's ear through vibrations. Priced at about $139, the strap can be attached to any watch including the Apple Watch.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:29 pm on 01 Sep

read more at YouTube

Hotel unveils world's first voice-activated rooms

short by Sanira Mediratta / 04:17 pm on 01 Sep 2016,Thursday

North America-based hotel chain, Aloft Hotels, recently unveiled the world's first voice-activated rooms at their branches at Boston Seaport and Santa Clara. The new service under 'Project Jetson' allows guests to communicate their requests to Apple’s voice-powered assistant, Siri, via an in-room iPad. The system can be used by guests to control settings such as the room temperature and lights.

short by Sanira Mediratta / 04:17 pm on 01 Sep

read more at Bloomberg

Motorola launches Moto Z Play at $408

short by Rahul Raj / 03:45 pm on 01 Sep 2016,Thursday

American consumer electronics company Motorola has launched Moto Z Play, a new phone in the Moto Z family, priced at $408. Moto Z Play runs on Android Marshmallow and comes with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, 3 GB RAM, 16-megapixel camera with dual focus system and 3,510 mAh battery. It sports a 5.2-inch screen which runs 1080p resolution.

short by Rahul Raj / 03:45 pm on 01 Sep

read more at Engadget

Microsoft to set up cybersecurity centre in Delhi

short by Rahul Raj / 03:40 pm on 01 Sep 2016,Thursday

Microsoft plans to open a cybersecurity centre at Connaught Place, New Delhi to assist the government and private agencies with all-round intelligence to counter cyber attacks in the country. Microsoft has seven such centres globally, including a small office in Gurgaon that opened in June. The new centre will be modelled on Microsoft's biggest cybersecurity setup at its Washington headquarters.

short by Rahul Raj / 03:40 pm on 01 Sep

read more at Google

'Reliance Jio to offer free calls till Dec 31'

short by Mansha Mahajan / 01:37 pm on 01 Sep 2016,Thursday

Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani today announced that all ‘Reliance Jio’ users will have free access to voice and data from September 5 till December 31. After December, all ‘Jio’ customers will get all domestic voice calls, including roaming for free, Ambani added. 'Reliance Jio' will transform India into the lowest-price data market in the world, he stated.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 01:37 pm on 01 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

Mukesh Ambani announces launch of Reliance Jio

short by Mansha Mahajan / 12:21 pm on 01 Sep 2016,Thursday

Reliance Industries chief Mukesh Ambani today announced the full-scale launch of its telecom venture 'Reliance Jio', during the company's 42nd annual general meeting. Stating it to be the "biggest investment in the history" of Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani said, Jio is the largest only 4G long-term evolution network in the world. Reliance Jio will start operations from September 5.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 12:21 pm on 01 Sep

read more at The Financial Express

Students design robot that cleans windows from outside

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:06 am on 01 Sep 2016,Thursday

Five Don Bosco students from Goa have designed a robot that can clean the windows of high-rise buildings from outside. “[C]urrently used machines run on electricity whereas we have employed pneumatic cylinders, which use compressed air to work,” a student said. The wireless, remote-controlled prototype runs on message commands and Bluetooth, and can clean 1 square metre in two minutes.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:06 am on 01 Sep

read more at The Better India

Tesla autopilot to alert inattentive drivers

short by Rahul Raj / 08:55 pm on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Tesla has released an update for its semi-autonomous autopilot mode with a new feature called 'abort procedure'. The feature slows the car down to a crawl if an inattentive driver doesn't respond to autopilot's instructions to take control of the steering wheel within 15 seconds. The autopilot then re-engages only when the car is stopped and put into park mode.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:55 pm on 31 Aug

read more at Autoblog

Samsung halts Note 7 shipments over battery explosions

short by Vani Vivek / 08:49 pm on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Electronics manufacturer Samsung on Wednesday said that shipments of its latest smartphone Galaxy Note 7 have been delayed due to additional tests being conducted to ensure product quality. This comes after users from South Korea claimed that the battery of their phones had exploded. The smartphone was launched in the country earlier this month.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:49 pm on 31 Aug

read more at Reuters

Google to launch ride-sharing service in US: Report

short by Vani Vivek / 08:27 pm on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Technology giant Google is reportedly launching a low cost ride-sharing service in San Francisco, US through its Waze app in a few months. The app offers real-time driving directions and traffic conditions. A pilot program for the service has been running near Google's California headquarters since May, letting workers at specific firms join carpools.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:27 pm on 31 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Acer unveils world's thinnest laptop

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:26 pm on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Taiwanese electronics maker Acer on Wednesday unveiled the world's thinnest laptop 'Swift 7', which is 9.88-millimetre thick, at a starting price of $999. The laptop is thinner than HP's 10.4 mm thick Spectre and Apple's 13.1 mm thick MacBook Air notebooks. It comes with a 13.3-inch display, black-and-gold dual tone design, 8 GB RAM and 256 GB of internal memory.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:26 pm on 31 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Australia launches its first driverless bus

short by Rahul Raj / 08:12 pm on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Australian motoring organisation RAC has launched the country's first ever driverless bus called RAC Intellibus, the trials of which began on Wednesday. The 11-seater bus will run on a 2.5 km route at a speed of 20 kmph. It has reportedly achieved the highest level of automation as it has no steering wheel, no operator or even pedals.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:12 pm on 31 Aug

read more at YouTube

Xiaomi unveils smart home cleaning robot at $250

short by Vani Vivek / 08:11 pm on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi on Wednesday unveiled its 'Mi Robot Vacuum' in China for $250. The cleaning robot maps rooms using its laser distance sensor to calculate the most efficient route and covers 250 square metres on a single charge. A companion app will let users track the robot live or set schedules for automatic cleaning.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:11 pm on 31 Aug

read more at Engadget

Acer unveils world's first curved screen laptop

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:36 pm on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Taiwanese electronics maker Acer on Wednesday unveiled the world's first curved screen laptop named 'Predator 21 X'. The gaming-focussed laptop comes with a 21-inch curved display, latest 7th Generation Intel Core processors, 64 GB RAM and eye-tracking technology to move in-game view with eyes. It also has an illuminated mechanical keyboard that flips over and turns into a precision touchpad.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:36 pm on 31 Aug

read more at YouTube

Dropbox staff's password led to 60mn user logins theft

short by Vani Vivek / 05:12 pm on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Online file hosting service Dropbox recently revealed that login details of over 60 million users were stolen in 2012 by hackers who reused an employee’s password from a LinkedIn breach. Dropbox last week had asked its users to reset their passwords and took steps to ensure that its employees do not reuse the passwords on their corporate accounts.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:12 pm on 31 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

9-year-old 3D prints prosthetic hand for teacher

short by Rahul Raj / 04:59 pm on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

A nine-year-old American boy has built a mechanical prosthetic hand for a local high school teacher with the help of his brother and father. The family owns a domestic 3D printer, which they keep updating with additional parts. After working on a prototype, the boy assembled the final 3D-printed version at home, which was then delivered to the teacher.

short by Rahul Raj / 04:59 pm on 31 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Obama first sitting US Prez to guest edit a magazine

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:49 pm on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

US President Barack Obama has been appointed the guest editor for technology magazine Wired's November issue, making him the first ever sitting US President to be a magazine's guest editor. The theme of the issue will be 'Frontiers', which will include stories of pioneers in various fields including technology and medicine. Obama has previously written about feminism in Glamour magazine.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:49 pm on 31 Aug

read more at The Guardian

Apple launches 2 TB iCloud storage at ₹1,300 a month

short by Vani Vivek / 04:00 pm on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Apple has launched 2 TB of data storage service on their iCloud Drive at a monthly fee of ₹1,300. The new tier adds to the existing options of 50 GB, 200 GB and 1 TB available on the online storage service. The upgrade comes after reports suggested that an upcoming iPhone 7 variant will have 256 GB of storage capacity.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:00 pm on 31 Aug

read more at 91Mobiles

Google may drop 'Nexus' brand name from its phones

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:12 pm on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Google is reportedly dropping the 'Nexus' brand name from its devices with the launch of its two upcoming HTC-made smartphones. The technology giant is said to market its devices under a different name. While the rumoured names include 'Marlin' and 'Sailfish', another report suggests that Google may replace the Nexus name on its smartphones with a 'G' logo.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:12 pm on 31 Aug

read more at The Verge

Apple to unveil iPhone 7 on September 7

short by Rahul Raj / 03:10 pm on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Apple has sent out invitations for an event on September 7, 2016, when the company will most likely unveil iPhone 7. Unlike previous events, this invitation does not give any hints about the unveiling and just says, "See you on the 7th". Apple will take pre-orders after the unveiling and the next iPhone will reportedly be released after a week.

short by Rahul Raj / 03:10 pm on 31 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

NPCI launches Bharat Bill Payment System

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 02:24 pm on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

The National Payments Corporation of India on Wednesday said it has launched the pilot project for Bharat Bill Payment System with 26 operating units. It will allow payments for everyday utility services such as electricity, water, gas, telephone, and DTH in its first phase. The BBPS is an RBI-mandated system to provide interoperable bill payment services, both online and offline.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 02:24 pm on 31 Aug

read more at PTI

Nokia's Technologies unit President to step down

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 02:05 pm on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Finnish telecom firm Nokia on Wednesday said that the President of its Technologies unit, Ramzi Haidamus, will be leaving the company at the end of September. Haidamus was in charge of the firm's patent business and the recent licensing deal with Finnish company HMD Global, which aims to bring Nokia's mobile devices back to the market.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 02:05 pm on 31 Aug

read more at Reuters

Snapchat deletes its Facebook Page

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:03 pm on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Photo messaging app Snapchat has deleted its official Facebook Page reportedly due to lack of its use. Snapchat had not updated its Facebook Page for over two years and the last public post made on its page was in August 2013. Before being deleted, Snapchat's Facebook Page had over 6.5 million Likes.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:03 pm on 31 Aug

read more at The Next Web

LeEco to start assembling its phones in India

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 12:32 pm on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Chinese phone-maker LeEco on Tuesday signed a pact with Taiwanese firm Compal to assemble 2 lakh units a month by year end, at a facility set up in Greater Noida, UP. LeEco has invested about ₹50 crore in its assembly lines, an official said. The firm would see its margins rise 6% by making and selling in India, he added.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 12:32 pm on 31 Aug

read more at The Financial Express

US develops largest solid 3D printed item

short by Satyaki Das / 09:30 am on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

A trim-and-drill aircraft tool developed by the US Department of Energy has been awarded the world record for the largest solid 3D-printed item by the Guinness World Records. The tool, printed in 30 hours, is 17.5 feet long, 5.5 feet wide and 1.5 feet tall, and weighs 748 kg. It will be tested in building the Boeing 777X passenger jet.

short by Satyaki Das / 09:30 am on 31 Aug

read more at Report

ISRO planning 68 satellites’ launch in one mission

short by Trivedi Bhutnath / 09:15 am on 31 Aug 2016,Wednesday

The Indian Space Research Organisation is planning to launch a record 68 satellites in one mission by early next year, ISRO's commercial arm Antrix' CMD Rakesh Sasibhushan has said. Officials said that the satellites will be "nano in nature". Earlier in June, ISRO had set a record in its space programme by successfully launching 20 satellites in a single mission.

short by Trivedi Bhutnath / 09:15 am on 31 Aug

read more at PTI

Pokemon go users' bans to be reversed

short by Satyaki Das / 11:52 pm on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Pokémon Go-creator Niantic announced it will reverse the lifetime bans it had earlier issued to some users' accounts. Players who used third-party add-on maps to locate Pokémon will be unbanned on a benefit-of-doubt basis. Users who used apps to scrape game data, or remotely capture Pokémon, will still be banned, as their actions place excessive load on the game servers.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:52 pm on 30 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Google integrates 'Cast' directly into Chrome

short by Satyaki Das / 11:42 pm on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Google has integrated its cast technology directly into the latest version of its Chrome browser, avoiding the need to download any additional Chrome extensions. The update would also allow its users to cast to other apps like Google Hangouts. Launched in 2014, Google Cast enables users to mirror audio and video from their device's screen to Chromecast-enabled TVs and speakers.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:42 pm on 30 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Yuneec launches selfie drone with 4K camera

short by Satyaki Das / 11:32 pm on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Canadian firm Yuneec has launched 'The Breeze', a compact drone with an onboard 4K camera, aimed to click high-quality aerial selfies. Priced at $500, the drone has a collision avoidance feature and a 'Follow Me' flight mode that lets users pose for a selfie. The drone comes with an app to control flight, watch a live stream, and record video.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:32 pm on 30 Aug

read more at Engadget

'The Turing Test' video game launched

short by Satyaki Das / 11:11 pm on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

UK-based Bulkhead Interactive on Tuesday launched 'The Turing Test' game for Xbox One. Named after famed computer scientist Alan Turing's eponymous puzzle, the release is a first-person puzzle game set on Jupiter's moon, Europa. Users play the role of Ava Turing, an International Space Agency engineer sent to investigate the disappearance of the ground crew stationed on Europa.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:11 pm on 30 Aug

read more at YouTube

Probe over mass download of Polish citizen data

short by Yash Kumar / 09:21 pm on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Poland has started an investigation after five court offices downloaded personal data of over 1.4 million citizens from the country's national identification number database. The database reportedly contains over 20 types of sensitive information, including banking-related details. Notably, Polish court officials are authorised to access a portion of the sensitive data for debt collection cases.

short by Yash Kumar / 09:21 pm on 30 Aug

read more at Phys

Apple sued over iPhone 6 touchscreen issue

short by Rahul Raj / 09:04 pm on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

A US-based legal firm has sued Apple over a touchscreen problem in iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, accusing it of fraud, negligent misrepresentation and breach of implied warranty. The issue, which was reported last week, causes a grey bar to appear at the top of the phone, rendering the entire screen unresponsive. Apple reportedly denied repairs of such phones.

short by Rahul Raj / 09:04 pm on 30 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Alphabet executive steps down from Uber board

short by Rahul Raj / 08:54 pm on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

David Drummond, the Senior VP of corporate development at Google's parent company Alphabet, has left Uber's board of directors amid growing competition between the two companies over self-driving cars and other areas. He reportedly didn't attend recent board meetings due to the conflicts. He joined Uber's board in 2013 when Google Ventures invested $258 million in Uber, its largest investment.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:54 pm on 30 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

HDFC to deploy robots at its branches: Report

short by Rahul Raj / 08:39 pm on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

According to reports, HDFC Bank has launched 'Project AI' where robots will be introduced at its branches to act primarily as receptionists. The robot will assist customers with tasks like withdrawing or transferring money or finding relevant departments for specific tasks. The pilot program will reportedly begin from a Mumbai branch, and may be scaled up later.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:39 pm on 30 Aug

read more at The Financial Express

Iran launches its own national internet network

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:18 pm on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Iran on Sunday launched the first phase of the country's own national internet network to provide high speed and quality connections at low costs. The government said that the network will be used to promote Islamic content and raise digital awareness among the public. Notably, Iran already blocks access to overseas social media services including Twitter and Facebook.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:18 pm on 30 Aug

read more at Google

EU tax demand has no basis in fact or law: Apple CEO

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:11 pm on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Reacting to EU's demand for Apple to pay $14.5 billion in taxes to Ireland, the company's CEO Tim Cook in an open letter to the European customers said, "This claim has no basis in fact or in law." Cook added, "The most profound and harmful effect of this ruling will be on investment and job creation in Europe."

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:11 pm on 30 Aug

read more at Apple

We'll not lead in self-driving tech: Aston Martin CEO

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:08 pm on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

British luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin's CEO Andy Palmer in an interview said, "We will not lead in self-driving technology. Astons are to be driven." He added, "We concentrate on only technology we think that is useful to drivers such as automatic parking and around-view monitors." Palmer added that he is excited about self-driving technology's potential to enhance driving experience.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:08 pm on 30 Aug

read more at YourStory

Sony crowdfunds e-paper display wristwatch

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:58 pm on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Sony is running a campaign in Japan to crowdfund an e-paper display wristwatch called 'FES Watch U', which comes with a steel body and an always-on face. The watch's face and bands feature e-paper display, allowing users to customise the watch's appearance. Priced between $430 to $590, the watch is not expected to be sold outside Japan.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:58 pm on 30 Aug

read more at YouTube

EU demands Apple to pay record $14.5 bn tax to Ireland

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:52 pm on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

The European Commission on Tuesday demanded technology giant Apple to pay record $14.5 billion to Ireland over receiving illegal tax benefits from the country. "This is illegal under EU state aid rules...It allowed Apple to pay substantially less tax than other businesses," said EU. The tax figure is nearly 40 times bigger than previously demanded by EU in such cases.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:52 pm on 30 Aug

read more at Reuters

Teen hacks Sri Lankan President's website

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:46 pm on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

A 17-year-old teen was arrested by the Sri Lankan police on Monday in connection with hacking President Maithripala Sirisena's official website. The hacker posted a message on the website demanding that his university entrance examination dates shall not be changed. He further demanded a presidential election immediately if Sirisena was unable to address to his demand.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:46 pm on 30 Aug

read more at Reuters

Facebook will not become a media company: Zuckerberg

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:26 pm on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Facebook Co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Monday said that Facebook will not become a media company and the firm will continue to be a technology platform. Zuckerberg added, "The world needs news companies, but also technology platforms, like what we do, and we take our role in this very seriously."

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:26 pm on 30 Aug

read more at Reuters

Zuckerberg meets Pope, gifts him aircraft model

short by Rahul Raj / 02:47 pm on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan met Pope Francis in Vatican City, Italy on Monday and presented him with a model of Facebook’s solar-powered internet-beaming Aquila aircraft. Zuckerberg's Facebook post read, "It was a meeting we'll never forget. You can feel his (the Pope's) warmth and kindness, and how deeply he cares about helping people."

short by Rahul Raj / 02:47 pm on 30 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Hackers penetrate 2 US state election databases: FBI

short by Yash Kumar / 07:30 am on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

The FBI has uncovered evidence that foreign hackers have penetrated two state election databases recently, prompting a "flash" alert warning US election officials to enhance computer security systems. This comes amid US concerns over the country's Democratic party election databases being reportedly hacked by Russian hackers in an alleged attempt to disrupt the presidential elections in November.

short by Yash Kumar / 07:30 am on 30 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Bing translates Arabic name for ISIS to 'Saudi Arabia'

short by Yash Kumar / 07:00 am on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Microsoft's internet search engine Bing translates "Daesh", the Arabic name for the terrorist group ISIS, to "Saudi Arabia". The technical error outraged many in Saudi Arabia, with the Saudi social media calling for an active boycott of Microsoft and Bing. Microsoft has since issued a formal apology to the country over the "unintentional" error.

short by Yash Kumar / 07:00 am on 30 Aug

read more at Google

Firm makes 3D baby models in womb for blind mothers

short by Satyaki Das / 01:19 am on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Poland-based 'In Utero 3D' prints 3D models of babies in the womb so blind mothers can feel their children before they're born. At 1 Euro, mothers can get a life-size model 3D-printed in a non-toxic bio-plastic material. The project, titled 'Waiting Without Barriers', prints the models using 3D ultrasound information, usually conducted between the 18th-30th week of pregnancy.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:19 am on 30 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Team launches new electronic instrument 'Mune'

short by Satyaki Das / 12:57 am on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

A team at Canada-based Memorial University of Newfoundland has developed 'Mune', a new kind of electronic musical instrument. The digital instrument, which has been launched for crowdfunding on Kickstarter, is accompanied with an app and can be used for drum beat sequencing, DJ-ing, playing piano and synthesizer. It can also be used as a controller to modify several instruments' sounds.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:57 am on 30 Aug

read more at YouTube

Intex launches new speakers at ₹4,000

short by Satyaki Das / 12:46 am on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Intex Technologies on Monday launched a new 2.1 speaker system priced at ₹4,000. The 'IT Turbo SUF BT' speaker features a USB port, SD card slot, Bluetooth connectivity and has a built-in FM tuner. The speaker also sports an LED display and AUX audio input compatible with DVD players, PCs and LCD TV sets.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:46 am on 30 Aug

read more at The Financial Express

'Jason Bourne' in 3D making Chinese 'nauseous'

short by Satyaki Das / 12:26 am on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

A 3D adaptation of Matt Damon-starrer 'Jason Bourne' reportedly left the Chinese audiences 'feeling dizzy and nauseous'. Chinese movie studios release "exclusive" three-dimensional adaptations of movies that won't actually have a 3D release. Only eight of the 149 theaters in Beijing showed the original version of the movie, which, however, raked in $25.1 million in its opening weekend in China.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:26 am on 30 Aug

read more at Engadget

Modular keyboard with up to 61-key combination

short by Satyaki Das / 12:02 am on 30 Aug 2016,Tuesday

US-based startup Kombos has developed a portable modular keyboard instrument that can fit inside any medium-sized backpack. The 61-note keyboard can be broken into five detachable modules, allowing functionality with two to four modules as well. The device, which has been launched on Kickstarter, comes with Bluetooth connectivity and is compatible with any Android or iOS device that supports MIDI.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:02 am on 30 Aug

read more at YouTube

'Petcube' lets owners play with pets remotely

short by Satyaki Das / 11:57 pm on 29 Aug 2016,Monday

US-based startup Petcube has developed a platform that lets pet owners interact with their pets remotely. While 'Petcube Bites' allows users to throw treats at their pets at home via a smartphone app, 'Petcube Play' allows users to exercise their pets using a laser toy that can also be controlled via the app. The products have been launched on Kickstarter.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:57 pm on 29 Aug

read more at YouTube

Android website still features Marshmallow on homepage

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:57 pm on 29 Aug 2016,Monday

Nearly a week after rolling out Android 7.0 version or Android Nougat, the Google operating system's official website still features the previous version Android Marshmallow on its homepage. The website does not make any mention of Android Nougat unless a user specifically searches for the related webpage on Google.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:57 pm on 29 Aug

read more at Website

Scientists leave 'Mars' dome after a year in isolation

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:34 pm on 29 Aug 2016,Monday

Six scientists left the Mauna Loa dome in Hawaii on Sunday, after completing a year-long simulation of a Mars mission. The group, which was allowed to go out of the dome only after wearing spacesuits, managed limited resources while conducting research and working to avoid personal conflicts. This was the second-longest such mission after a 520-day mission by Russian scientists.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:34 pm on 29 Aug

read more at The Guardian

Over 3 billion minutes are spent on Skype every day

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:05 pm on 29 Aug 2016,Monday

The users of the video chat platform Skype spend more than 3 billion minutes every day using the service, across the world. The technology platform has nearly 300 million users worldwide, and its mobile application has been downloaded over a billion times. Notably, Skype was released 13 years ago on August 29, 2003.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:05 pm on 29 Aug

read more at Google

Microsoft trolls Apple's MacBook in latest ad

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:55 pm on 29 Aug 2016,Monday

Technology giant Microsoft has released a musical style advertisement for its Surface Pro 4 convertible laptop, where it trolls Apple's MacBook and calls it "less useful like a hat for your cat." In the advertisement, Microsoft also labels MacBook "slower, heavier, and a bit square." Earlier this month, Microsoft took a jibe on Apple's iPad Pro in a commercial.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:55 pm on 29 Aug

read more at YouTube

Netflix was created over late fee for movie rental

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:12 pm on 29 Aug 2016,Monday

Entertainment company Netflix's Co-founder Reed Hastings was inspired to create the company after he was charged a late fee of $40 over the rental of the movie 'Apollo 13'. The company was founded on August 29, 1997, and started by renting DVDs by mail for a flat subscription fees. Netflix now specialises in streaming media and video on demand online.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:12 pm on 29 Aug

read more at Google

Indian startup to launch smartphone at ₹501

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:12 pm on 29 Aug 2016,Monday

Indian startup ChampOne Communications is launching a smartphone named 'ChampOne C1' at a price of ₹501 through a flash sale on September 2. However, the current price is for sales promotion only and once the device is launched nationwide, it will cost nearly ₹8,000. It comes with 5-inch display, fingerprint sensor, 2 GB RAM and 16 GB of internal memory.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:12 pm on 29 Aug

read more at The Financial Express

Philips launches $40 motion sensor for smart lights

short by Rahul Raj / 05:34 pm on 29 Aug 2016,Monday

Philips has launched a motion sensor for smart lights called 'Hue', priced at $40. The Hue lights turn on when users walk in front of the sensor. The device can be paired with the Hue app, which lets users choose specific lighting scenes and adjust motion sensitivity. Philips claims the device can run for two-to-three years with two AAA batteries.

short by Rahul Raj / 05:34 pm on 29 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Mark Zuckerberg attends Spotify CEO's wedding

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:34 pm on 29 Aug 2016,Monday

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan on Saturday attended the wedding of music streaming service Spotify's Founder and CEO Daniel Ek with Sofia Levander in Italy. In his Facebook post, Zuckerberg called Daniel a great entrepreneur as well as “a great friend and dedicated father.” Grammy winning singer Bruno Mars sang at the wedding.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:34 pm on 29 Aug

read more at Recode

New Russian cyberspace law to cost firms $39bn

short by Yash Kumar / 04:32 pm on 29 Aug 2016,Monday

Russia has passed a new cyberspace law that requires internet service providers to store Russian internet traffic for 6 months, which will reportedly cost companies around $39 billion. The law also requires services like WhatsApp to turn over their encryption keys to the government. The Russian government claimed that this is aimed at protecting the nation from terrorism.

short by Yash Kumar / 04:32 pm on 29 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:23 pm on 29 Aug 2016,Monday

Facebook has reportedly fired a team of 15-18 contractual employees who used to write description for trending topics, with an hour's notice. They were given six weeks' worth of severance pay and were asked to leave Facebook's office within an hour. The employees had earlier claimed that the pro-conservative topics were purposely suppressed from appearing on the trending list.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:23 pm on 29 Aug

read more at Google

'Mercedes owners most willing to use autopilot'

short by Satyaki Das / 01:27 am on 29 Aug 2016,Monday

According to a survey by MaritzCX, Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti owners are most willing to buy self-driving cars, with about 27% of them opting for the self-driving option. The owners of Fiat Chrysler's Jeep SUVs and Ram pickups were the least interested. While 94% of those surveyed are aware of autonomous vehicles, almost 48% aren't interested in buying, the survey added.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:27 am on 29 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

US firm creates dedicated app for truck-drivers

short by Satyaki Das / 01:07 am on 29 Aug 2016,Monday

US-based firm One20 has come up with a social network-based mobile platform exclusively for truck drivers. The application features truck-safe navigation, truck-safe parking locations, and a rating and review system besides recommending places of interest to drivers. The app, which comes for free in both iOS and Android, is also available bundled with a Samsung Galaxy E tablet.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:07 am on 29 Aug

read more at The Verge

DJI launches camera stabilisation system at ₹56k

short by Satyaki Das / 10:44 pm on 28 Aug 2016,Sunday

China-based drone manufacturer DJI has launched the updated Osmo+ handheld camera stabilisation system in India at ₹56,000. The system features an integrated zoom lens, allowing a total of 7x zoom, and shoots motion time-lapses by simply selecting the start and end point of camera movement. It can shoot 4K videos at 30 fps and full HD videos at 100 fps.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:44 pm on 28 Aug

'Apple may face shortage at iPhone 7 launch'

short by Rahul Raj / 09:37 pm on 28 Aug 2016,Sunday

According to a report, Apple's iPhone 7 may face a supply shortage at the time of its launch, slated for next month. The shortage will primarily be due to 'faulty components' which could impact the phone's availability. At the time of launch, 10 million fewer iPhone 7 builds will be available compared to last year's iPhone 6S, the report added.

short by Rahul Raj / 09:37 pm on 28 Aug

read more at The Next Web

BMW 5 series to get 'Remote View 3D' feature

short by Satyaki Das / 09:09 pm on 28 Aug 2016,Sunday

German automaker BMW will include a 'Remote View 3D' feature in the next generation of its 5 series luxury sedan. The feature will allow owners to get a 3D-rendered bird's eye view of their car and its surroundings on their smartphones, using BMW's 360-degree Surround View camera system. The company will unveil the feature in October.

short by Satyaki Das / 09:09 pm on 28 Aug

read more at Autoblog

Early laptop pioneer John Ellenby dies at age 75

short by Rahul Raj / 08:51 pm on 28 Aug 2016,Sunday

British-born computer engineer John Ellenby, who had pioneered the development of laptops, died earlier this month at the age of 75 in San Francisco, US. The cause of his death is yet to be determined. Ellenby founded Grid Systems, a company known for making the first commercially successful clamshell laptop, the Compass, which went on sale in 1982 for $8,150.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:51 pm on 28 Aug

read more at Engadget

Gurgaon to get new IT park worth $400 million

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:45 pm on 28 Aug 2016,Sunday

Singapore-based business space solutions company Ascendas-Singbridge on Saturday announced that it will develop an IT park of 8 million sq ft area in Gurgaon at a cost of $400 million. In the first phase, two buildings of 1 million sq ft with Grade A offices will be built by 2017. Once completed, the park will cater up to 60,000 professionals.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:45 pm on 28 Aug

read more at India Today

Nike fitness app's latest redesign upsets users

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:39 pm on 28 Aug 2016,Sunday

Nike's fitness app 'Nike+ Running' users are upset over the latest redesign of the app, which has eliminated certain previously available functionalities and features. Renamed as 'Nike+ Run Club', the app's average rating has reduced to 1.5 stars on the Apple's App Store post redesign. The redesign has removed motivational trophies and made sharing progress on social media difficult.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:39 pm on 28 Aug

read more at The Verge

Domino's to launch unmanned drone delivery in NZ

short by Daisy Mowke / 08:17 pm on 28 Aug 2016,Sunday

'Domino's Pizza' in New Zealand (NZ) is aiming to become the first company in the world to become an unmanned commercial drone delivery service on a regular basis. New Zealand became one of the world's first countries to clear commercial drone deliveries in 2015. Notably, a US convenience store chain conducted the first single commercial drone delivery in July.

short by Daisy Mowke / 08:17 pm on 28 Aug

read more at Reuters

Sheryl Sandberg was Facebook's first female Director

short by Vani Vivek / 05:46 pm on 28 Aug 2016,Sunday

Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg was the first female to be appointed to the company's Board of Directors in 2012. She has also previously worked with Google and World Bank, and serves on the board of the Walt Disney Company. Sandberg, who turned 47 on Sunday is currently the seventh most powerful woman in the world as per Forbes.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:46 pm on 28 Aug

read more at Google

FB COO has been most powerful woman in tech for 5 yrs

short by Vani Vivek / 02:39 pm on 28 Aug 2016,Sunday

Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, who turned 47 on Sunday, was named by Forbes as the most powerful woman in technology for five consecutive years from 2012 to 2016. Sandberg was also one of the youngest female billionaires in the world in 2014, and currently has an estimated net worth of $1.42 billion.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:39 pm on 28 Aug

read more at Forbes

App lets friends dare each other and win money

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:13 pm on 28 Aug 2016,Sunday

A new app called 'Double Dog' lets friends send and receive dares and win money if the dare isn't completed. On receiving a dare, a user sends a video proof of the dare being completed and gets paid by the person who dared. On the other hand, a user needs to pay double the bet money on declining a dare.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:13 pm on 28 Aug

read more at The Next Web

ISRO successfully test launches Scramjet engine

short by Ankur Vyas / 10:31 am on 28 Aug 2016,Sunday

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully tested its Scramjet (Supersonic Combusting Ramjet) engine from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Sunday. Known as the air-breathing engine, it would be used only during the atmospheric phase of the rocket's flight and will help bring down the launch cost by reducing the amount of oxidiser required along with fuel.

short by Ankur Vyas / 10:31 am on 28 Aug

16-yr-old boy develops app for Indian Paralympians

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:44 am on 28 Aug 2016,Sunday

Arhan Bagati, a 16-year-old from Gurgaon, has developed a mobile app to assist the Indian contingent of 18 athletes in the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, to be held from September 7-18. The app, named InRio, features information like a list of disabled-friendly gyms, emergency contact of the Indian Embassy, a health monitor, and profiles of other Paralympians.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:44 am on 28 Aug

read more at The Better India

Quake alert system warns 10 sec before an event

short by Satyaki Das / 02:54 am on 28 Aug 2016,Sunday

The US Geological Survey along with several university partners are testing an earthquake early warning system called ShakeAlert for the US west coast including the states of California, Oregon and Washington. The system uses an underground network of seismic sensors to detect an approaching earthquake 10 seconds in advance, sending people a warning notification on their phones.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:54 am on 28 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Opera Sync service hacked, user passwords reset

short by Satyaki Das / 02:47 am on 28 Aug 2016,Sunday

Opera in a blog post revealed its Sync service was infiltrated in a hacker attack earlier this week, which prompted the company to reset at least 1.7 million user passwords. Sync lets users synchronise their browser data and settings across multiple platforms. This comes after Opera announced the sale of its browser business to a Chinese consortium for $600 million.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:47 am on 28 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Russian search engine building autonomous shuttle

short by Satyaki Das / 02:32 am on 28 Aug 2016,Sunday

Russian company Yandex, which operates the country's leading search engine, is reportedly developing a self-driving shuttle. For this, the company has partnered with Russian truck maker Kamaz, Russian government-funded automotive research facility NAMI and German automaker Daimler. The 12-seater vehicles will have a maximum range of 200 km, and will begin testing next year, according to Forbes.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:32 am on 28 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

29 tech majors pledge to close gender pay gap

short by Satyaki Das / 02:04 am on 28 Aug 2016,Sunday

Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Intel and IBM are among the 29 major US employers who have signed the White House Equal Pay Pledge in a promise to bridge the gender pay gap. The list was announced by the US President Obama on Friday on the occasion of Women's Equality Day. Notably, Amazon was not included in the list.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:04 am on 28 Aug

read more at Engadget

Beijing firm launches 1st ever egg-shaped drone

short by Satyaki Das / 01:53 am on 28 Aug 2016,Sunday

Beijing-based PowerVision has launched what it claims to be the world's first foldable egg-shaped drone, called the PowerEgg, at $1,288. The drone, which 'hatches' four arms with folding rotor blades, sports a 4K camera that can shoot 360-degree panoramic images. The drone would also allow its users to upload mid-flight real-time HD footage to their social media accounts.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:53 am on 28 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Book hunting game inspired by Pokémon Go created

short by Rahul Raj / 08:36 pm on 27 Aug 2016,Saturday

A Belgian school headmaster Aveline Gregoire has created a Pokémon Go inspired online book hunting game which is played through a Facebook group called 'Chasseurs de livres' (Book hunters). Over 40,000 players post pictures and hints about where books are hidden across Belgium for others to find them. Once someone has finished reading, books are "released" back into the wild.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:36 pm on 27 Aug

read more at Reuters

11 cr mobile phones were made in India in a year

short by Rahul Raj / 08:33 pm on 27 Aug 2016,Saturday

IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that 11 crore mobile phones were made in India in the last one year compared to 6 crore earlier. He added that 37 mobile manufacturing companies have set up plants in India in one year. Prasad also informed that the government has provided ₹10,000 crore to support entrepreneurs in the field of electronics.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:33 pm on 27 Aug

read more at PTI

Russian lawmaker's son steals 2 mn credit card details

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:35 pm on 27 Aug 2016,Saturday

Russian parliament member Valery Seleznev's son Roman Seleznev has been convicted of stealing at least 2 million credit card details, for which he will face four years of mandatory jail term. Roman ran a hacking scheme from 2008 to 2014 that targeted over 3,700 US pizza chains and small businesses. The hacking cost banks $169 million in losses.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:35 pm on 27 Aug

read more at Engadget

Microsoft announces tools to reduce hate speech

short by Rahul Raj / 06:51 pm on 27 Aug 2016,Saturday

Microsoft on Friday announced new resources to reduce hate speech on its consumer service platforms like Outlook, Office 365, Skype and Xbox. The company has launched two forms for direct communication, one for reporting content and another for restoring content. Microsoft has also published reading material to help young people recognise misinformation and hate speech online.

short by Rahul Raj / 06:51 pm on 27 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

China's elevated bus concept a scam: Reports

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:38 pm on 27 Aug 2016,Saturday

China's 'Transit Elevated Bus' concept that glides over the traffic and allows cars to pass underneath it, is being called a scam by the state's media. "The TES was little more than a publicity stunt...a lending scam that has duped retail Chinese investors by promising unreal returns," said a report. Earlier this month, the bus reportedly completed a test run.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:38 pm on 27 Aug

read more at Google

Google hires Airbnb executive for self-driving cars

short by Rahul Raj / 05:17 pm on 27 Aug 2016,Saturday

Google has hired Shaun Stewart, former head of Airbnb’s vacation rentals business, as Director of Google's self-driving car project. The top Airbnb executive will help Google commercialise its self-driving technology, which has been under development for over seven years. Stewart will report to John Krafcik, who was hired by Google as the project's CEO in 2015.

short by Rahul Raj / 05:17 pm on 27 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Netflix trolls North Korean rival on Twitter

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:16 pm on 27 Aug 2016,Saturday

On-demand video streaming service Netflix has trolled its North Korean rival Manbang on Twitter by changing its bio to "Manbang knockoff" on the micro-blogging site. Launched earlier this week by the North Korea's state broadcaster, Manbang is a set-top box that provides on-demand TV content over the internet. It was dubbed as North Korea's version of Netflix in some reports.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:16 pm on 27 Aug

read more at The Verge

Glasses that also act as fitness tracker made

short by Rahul Raj / 04:22 pm on 27 Aug 2016,Saturday

US-based vision care provider VSP has partnered with University of Southern California to conduct a four-month long pilot study on its new wearable glasses called 'Level'. The glasses include an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a magnetometer to track step count, calories burnt and activity time. Paired with an app via Bluetooth, it offers a location feature called 'Find My Glasses'.

short by Rahul Raj / 04:22 pm on 27 Aug

read more at Engadget

Volkswagen electric car to run 482 km on 15-min charge

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:20 pm on 27 Aug 2016,Saturday

German automaker Volkswagen's first fully electric car scheduled to launch in late 2018 or early 2019, will be able to run for 482 kilometres after a 15-minute charge. According to Volkswagen Chairman Herbert Diess, the car will roughly be the same size as the company's compact car Golf, but will feel as roomy as the sedan Passat on the inside.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:20 pm on 27 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Rare Apple computer prototype sold for $815k

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:07 pm on 27 Aug 2016,Saturday

A rare prototype of one of the first Apple computers built by the company's Founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, 'Apple 1' was sold for $815,000 in an auction this week. The prototype was bought by a couple, Glenn and Shannon Dellimore, Co-founders of cosmetics firm Glamglow. The couple already owns one of the six known working Apple 1 computers.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:07 pm on 27 Aug

read more at Recode

FB reduces role of human editors in Trending Topics

short by Rahul Raj / 03:40 pm on 27 Aug 2016,Saturday

Facebook on Friday announced that human editors would no longer write descriptions for the Trending Topics stories in its news feed. The editors will now only select the topics, while a special algorithm pulls excerpts from the articles themselves. The number of people discussing about a topic will be visible below it, while the description will be visible on clicks.

short by Rahul Raj / 03:40 pm on 27 Aug

read more at Facebook

Ford's app lets users reserve car parking spots

short by Rahul Raj / 03:36 pm on 27 Aug 2016,Saturday

Automaker Ford has released the latest update on its FordPass app, which lets users reserve a parking spot in garages in real-time across 160 US cities. The users need to enter a destination and time to park, and the app shows available spots on a map with pricing. Users can then pay for the spot using Ford's payment service FordPay.

short by Rahul Raj / 03:36 pm on 27 Aug

read more at YouTube

Baidu unveils fully electric self-driving car

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:33 pm on 27 Aug 2016,Saturday

Chinese internet giant Baidu on Friday unveiled a fully electric self-driving car for testing in China. Planning to release self-driving vehicles for the public, Baidu is mapping routes with information like height of the traffic lights and location of pavements. The company plans to launch the service by 2018.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:33 pm on 27 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Man creates website that has only blank windows

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:30 pm on 27 Aug 2016,Saturday

Dutch-Brazilian visual artist Rafaël Rozendaal has created a website called 'BlankWindows.com' that contains only blank windows. Users can drag and rearrange the windows and resize them by clicking on one of the window's corners. Rozendaal, who says that he "uses the internet as his canvas", has made 106 other websites with different patterns and effects.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:30 pm on 27 Aug

read more at Website

Google killing Device Assist on Nexus phones

short by Satyaki Das / 10:40 pm on 26 Aug 2016,Friday

Google is killing off the native Device Assist app that it had launched in 2014 to offer troubleshooting tips on Nexus and Android One devices. Users are being notified of the app's removal via a "detected issue" card that directs them to Google's online tips site. The app is no longer displayed in Play Store searches.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:40 pm on 26 Aug

read more at Engadget

Truecaller crosses 90 million monthly users

short by Satyaki Das / 09:34 pm on 26 Aug 2016,Friday

Sweden-based phone directory app Truecaller has crossed 90 million monthly active users and is nearing the 100 million mark, as per reports. Truecaller has acknowledged that India is its biggest market, accounting for 130 million of its 250 million total downloads. Further, it is partnering with Huawei to have the app pre-installed on Huawei smartphones in most markets, including India.

short by Satyaki Das / 09:34 pm on 26 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Mahindra launches connected vehicle platform

short by Satyaki Das / 08:36 pm on 26 Aug 2016,Friday

Automaker Mahindra on Friday announced the launch of its connected vehicle platform DiGiSENSE. It sports features like vehicle tracking, route panning and fuel indication, allowing owners, drivers and dealers to access vital information in real time about their vehicles. This makes Mahindra the first Indian original equipment manufacturer to integrate its products onto a cloud-based platform.

short by Satyaki Das / 08:36 pm on 26 Aug

read more at Google

Snapchat highest crashing app on iOS: Report

short by Vani Vivek / 08:05 pm on 26 Aug 2016,Friday

According to a report by data security provider Blancco Technology Group based on the second quarter of 2016, Snapchat was the most-likely app to crash on iOS, with a 17% failure rate. Facebook-owned Instagram had a 14% failure rate, followed by Facebook itself with 9%, and Facebook’s mobile-messaging service Messenger with 5% rate of crashing.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:05 pm on 26 Aug

read more at Google

MobiKwik receives $40 million in funding

short by Vani Vivek / 07:46 pm on 26 Aug 2016,Friday

Mobile payment startup MobiKwik on Friday raised $40 million in funding from NASDAQ-listed transaction processing services provider Net1. The South African company will integrate its 'virtual card' technology into MobiKwik's wallets. Founded in 2009, Gurgaon-based MobiKwik claims to have 32 million mobile wallet users and one lakh retailers onboard.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:46 pm on 26 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Apple iOS crash rate higher than Android for 1st time

short by Vani Vivek / 06:14 pm on 26 Aug 2016,Friday

According to data security provider Blancco Technology Group, Apple’s iOS failure rate was higher than Google’s Android for the first time ever in the second quarter of 2016. With issues like crashing apps and WiFi connectivity, iOS failure rate rose to 58% from 25% in the previous quarter. In comparison, 35% of devices running Android had problems, down from 44%.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:14 pm on 26 Aug

read more at Report

Hong Kong firm unveils wooden game console

short by Satyaki Das / 05:43 pm on 26 Aug 2016,Friday

Hong Kong-based retro game manufacturer 8Bitdo has released Facebook photos showcasing its latest prototype, a wooden arcade game console. The Desktop Arcade Joy Stick sports a curved wooden design and old-school arcade-style joystick and buttons. While further details have not been announced, the console is expected to let users play emulated 8-bit and 16-bit arcade games.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:43 pm on 26 Aug

read more at The Verge

Apple issues update to tackle one-tap malware

short by Vani Vivek / 05:36 pm on 26 Aug 2016,Friday

Apple has issued an update to tackle the 'Pegasus' malware distributed by Israeli spyware company NSO. Pegasus remotely jailbreaks iPhones at the tap of a link to steal and intercept all data and communication going through them. The malware was noticed when a man received an SMS with a link claiming to reveal "secrets about torture in UAE state prisons".

short by Vani Vivek / 05:36 pm on 26 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Apple files patent to capture photos of thieves

short by Vani Vivek / 04:56 pm on 26 Aug 2016,Friday

Apple has filed a patent for a system that will capture biometric information like fingerprints, photos and audio of iPhone thieves along with their GPS location. The information will then be transmitted to servers to identify the unauthorised users. The system will use the existing Touch ID sensor, front camera and microphone on Apple's devices to collect the information.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:56 pm on 26 Aug

read more at Engadget

Google Search allows playing Tic-Tac-Toe, Solitaire

short by Vani Vivek / 04:34 pm on 26 Aug 2016,Friday

Google on Thursday rolled out a feature that lets users play the games Tic-Tac-Toe and Solitaire directly from the Search page. Users can search for the games on the Google home page on desktops or through the Google App on smartphones. The games have different levels of difficulty, and Tic-Tac-Toe can also be played against a friend.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:34 pm on 26 Aug

read more at Google Blog

Amazon launches research platform for car buyers

short by Vani Vivek / 03:55 pm on 26 Aug 2016,Friday

E-commerce platform Amazon on Thursday launched 'Amazon Vehicles', a research destination and automotive community for car enthusiasts and people looking to buy cars. Users can find specifications, read reviews, and have discussions with existing car owners. Amazon Vehicles is an extension of the Amazon Automotive store, where users can buy spares and accessories for their vehicles.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:55 pm on 26 Aug

read more at Engadget

Ex-pornstar sues FB for $1 bn for ruining career

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:53 pm on 26 Aug 2016,Friday

A former pornstar named Paree La’Tiejira has sued social media giant Facebook for $1 billion alleging that CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his company ruined her porn career. According to Paree, rumours spread on Facebook that she was born as a man, which made it difficult to find work. Paree claims that Zuckerberg did nothing to stop the rumours from spreading.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:53 pm on 26 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Cybercrime in India up by 350% in 3 yrs: Study

short by Tarun Khanna / 12:35 pm on 26 Aug 2016,Friday

Cybercrime in India rose by 350% from 2011 to 2014, an Assocham-PwC joint study claimed on Thursday. The cybercriminals can gain control of vital systems such as nuclear plants, railways, transportation or hospitals, said the study. In the past, attacks have mostly been initiated from the US, Turkey, China, Brazil, Pakistan, and Europe among others, it added.

short by Tarun Khanna / 12:35 pm on 26 Aug

read more at The Better India

Apple may launch Snapchat-like app: Reports

short by Satyaki Das / 01:22 am on 26 Aug 2016,Friday

According to several reports, Apple is developing a video sharing and editing application that will be similar in functionality to Snapchat. The app will enable its users to create and edit videos in less than a minute, reports added. However, it is not clear whether the software will launch as part of iOS or as a standalone app.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:22 am on 26 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Virtual reality experience features Barack Obama

short by Satyaki Das / 01:21 am on 26 Aug 2016,Friday

Oculus and National Geographic have released a film called 'Through the Ages' featuring US President Barack Obama to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the US National Park Service. The film, which is available as a 360-degree video on Facebook, is set in Yosemite National Park in California's Sierra Nevada mountains, shows President Obama exploring the scene with his family.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:21 am on 26 Aug

read more at Engadget

Boeing simulates worst possible landing scenarios

short by Satyaki Das / 01:13 am on 26 Aug 2016,Friday

Boeing is conducting ground landing tests to simulate worst possible scenarios including landing angles and velocities at NASA's Langley Research Center for its Starliner spacecraft. This is aimed at making sure that the Starliner spacecraft, which is expected to fly two astronauts to the International Space Station in its 2018 debut, can handle such tough situations.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:13 am on 26 Aug

read more at Engadget

MIT system makes wireless data transfer 3 times faster

short by Vani Vivek / 08:59 pm on 25 Aug 2016,Thursday

Researchers from the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab have developed 'MegaMIMO 2.0', a system that can increase wireless data transfer speeds by three times while doubling the signal's range. The team claims the system will help tackle the problem of 'spectrum crunch', wherein the crowding of devices on a network results in limited bandwidth and slow speeds.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:59 pm on 25 Aug

read more at YouTube

Xiaomi unveils Redmi Note 4 in China at $135

short by Rahul Raj / 08:46 pm on 25 Aug 2016,Thursday

Chinese technology company Xiaomi on Thursday unveiled its new smartphone Redmi Note 4 in China priced at $135. The unibody handset sports a 10-core processor, 5.5-inch screen and 4,100 mAh battery. The phone comes with 16GB or 64GB storage, expandable up to 128GB and runs Android Marshmallow. It also has a 13MP camera and a fingerprint sensor at the back.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:46 pm on 25 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

WhatsApp to share phone numbers with Facebook

short by Rahul Raj / 08:34 pm on 25 Aug 2016,Thursday

Messaging service WhatsApp on Thursday announced that it will relax its privacy stance and share phone numbers with its parent company Facebook. The move is aimed at delivering relevant advertisements and friend recommendations to users on Facebook, according to WhatsApp. However, WhatsApp assured it would not sell, share, or give users' phone numbers to advertisers.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:34 pm on 25 Aug

read more at Reuters

Man makes Guinness record for Batsuit with 23 gadgets

short by Vani Vivek / 07:37 pm on 25 Aug 2016,Thursday

An Irish man on Wednesday was awarded with the Guinness world record for the most functional gadgets on a cosplay suit, with 23 gadgets on his Batman costume. The 3D-printed suit includes devices like a fireball shooter, tranquilliser gun, bat sign projector, Batman's signature batarangs and an ultrasonic anti-dog device, among others.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:37 pm on 25 Aug

read more at YouTube

Facebook may offer free Wi-Fi at railway stations

short by Vani Vivek / 07:33 pm on 25 Aug 2016,Thursday

RailTel Chairman R K Bahuguna has reportedly said that the corporation might partner with Facebook to provide free Wi-Fi access to railway stations and nearby villages. "We will be able to offer data services up to a 10-km radius from a connected rail stop", Bahuguna said. Facebook recently completed a trial of its Express Wi-Fi service across 125 rural locations.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:33 pm on 25 Aug

read more at The Financial Express

HP's new laptop screen to prevent people from spying

short by Rahul Raj / 07:24 pm on 25 Aug 2016,Thursday

HP has developed a screen called 'Sure View' which can block viewing angles at the press of a keyboard shortcut, making it difficult to spy on what's being displayed. Creating a 70-degree straight-on viewing angle, the screen cuts 95% of light on both sides. The 1080p screen supports touch and will be available on HP's EliteBook 1040 and EliteBook 840.

short by Rahul Raj / 07:24 pm on 25 Aug

read more at The Verge

Apple CEO Tim Cook earned $373 mn in stock in 5 years

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:16 pm on 25 Aug 2016,Thursday

Apple's Tim Cook earned shares worth $373 million in five years as the CEO of the company, according to Bloomberg's data. Cook became the CEO of Apple after taking over from Steve Jobs in 2011. He was granted 1 million shares of the company and topped Wall Street Journal's list of highest paid CEOs in 2011.

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:16 pm on 25 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

World's first self-driving taxis debut in Singapore

short by Vani Vivek / 07:14 pm on 25 Aug 2016,Thursday

Three-year old startup nuTonomy on Thursday started the public trial of self-driving cabs in Singapore, becoming the world's first company to publicly test self-driving taxis. It will offer free rides to select customers in its six modified Renault and Mitsubishi electric cars. Taxi hailing app Uber is also planning to launch its autonomous taxis in the US within a few weeks.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:14 pm on 25 Aug

read more at YouTube

iPhone 6 defect makes touchscreen unresponsive

short by Rahul Raj / 06:44 pm on 25 Aug 2016,Thursday

A hardware defect in iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models is reportedly causing the touchscreens to malfunction and become unresponsive. On the surface level, the 'Touch Disease' affected iPhones show a flickering grey bar at the top. The issue has not been reported in iPhone 6S and 6S Plus models, and Apple will reportedly not offer any repairs.

short by Rahul Raj / 06:44 pm on 25 Aug

read more at Mashable

$5,000 smart bag locks itself on overspending

short by Vani Vivek / 06:44 pm on 25 Aug 2016,Thursday

Product comparison website Finder has launched 'iBag2' which locks itself if shoppers exceed their spending goals. The $5,000 bag is equipped with a 10,000 mAh power bank, vibration motors and LED lights which light up blue and vibrate each time a user's wallet is taken out as a reminder of spending goals. The bag also sends reminders for reapplying sunscreen.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:44 pm on 25 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Tesla shares jump after CEO Elon Musk's tweet

short by Rahul Raj / 03:37 pm on 25 Aug 2016,Thursday

Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted on Tuesday informing of a "Tesla product announcement", following which the company's shares jumped 2% to $227.45. Recording a peak rise of 2.3%, it was the biggest intraday gain in two weeks for the company. Tesla unveiled a new version of Model S on Tuesday, which is the fastest electric car in production.

short by Rahul Raj / 03:37 pm on 25 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

100 govt sites to be made disabled friendly

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 01:14 pm on 25 Aug 2016,Thursday

Electronics & Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said that work is on to make 100 government websites disabled friendly and 16 such sites are ready. Further, Prasad added that optical fibre measuring 1.39 lakh km were laid in last two years to connect village panchayats with internet, as against 398 km from 2011-14 during the UPA regime.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 01:14 pm on 25 Aug

read more at The Financial Express

Tesla world's most innovative company of 2016: Forbes

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:10 am on 25 Aug 2016,Thursday

Electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors has topped the Forbes list of 'World's Most Innovative Companies' of 2016. It was founded in 2003 by a group of engineers in Silicon Valley including Elon Musk, who wanted to prove that electric cars could be better than gasoline-powered cars. Notably, the automobile major unveiled the world's fastest electric car in production on Tuesday.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:10 am on 25 Aug

read more at Forbes

Steve Jobs resigned as CEO of Apple 5 years ago

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:13 pm on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs had resigned as the CEO of Apple on August 24, 2011, handing over the reins to Tim Cook. "I've always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties…as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come,” Jobs said in his resignation.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:13 pm on 24 Aug

read more at Apple

Full-time Pokémon Go trainer to get paid $739 a month

short by Rahul Raj / 09:37 pm on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

A 22-year-old Singaporean girl Ivy Lim has got the full-time job as a Pokémon Go trainer, according to the company that hired her. Funzing, an events listing website, announced on Tuesday that they selected Lim from over 5,000 applicants for a three-month contract with $739 per month salary. Lim, a 'freelance model and DJ', will help Funzing organise Pokémon events.

short by Rahul Raj / 09:37 pm on 24 Aug

read more at Mashable

Apple customers being targeted in email scam

short by Rahul Raj / 09:29 pm on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Apple customers are being targeted in a new email scam trying to extract their bank details. Apple has warned against these bogus emails, which come with a genuine-looking invoice claiming someone has made a purchase on the App Store using their accounts. The email directs to a 'refund' link, which asks for bank details of the customers.

short by Rahul Raj / 09:29 pm on 24 Aug

read more at Daily Mail

Android Nougat is a solid update, says Verge

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:22 pm on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Android's latest version which started rolling out on Tuesday, Nougat "is a solid update," according to The Verge. "Nougat has longer battery life, improved multitasking and smarter notifications in a slimmed down and refined Android experience," said The Guardian. "Android Nougat is an excellent release. Permission to get excited granted!" said Phone Arena.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:22 pm on 24 Aug

read more at The Guardian

Jawbone accuses Xiaomi of copying its speaker

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:51 pm on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

American consumer technology startup Jawbone has accused Xiaomi of copying the design of its speaker. Jawbone's Chief Creative Officer Yves Behar tweeted, "Sad for you @xiaomi , ripping off the @jawbone Mini #jambox. Sad." Xiaomi's Mi Square Box Bluetooth Speaker unveiled in 2015 has been accused of copying Jawbone's Mini Jambox launched in 2013.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:51 pm on 24 Aug

read more at Mashable

Steve Jobs' name is still on the door of his office

short by Vani Vivek / 07:26 pm on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Tim Cook, who became Apple CEO on August 24, 2011 once said that Steve Jobs' office is left "exactly as it was" since his death. "His name is still on the door...I didn’t want to move in there. He’s an irreplaceable person and so it didn’t feel right", he said, adding that his computer and books are still in there.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:26 pm on 24 Aug

read more at YouTube

Tim Cook initially declined to work for Apple

short by Vani Vivek / 07:17 pm on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Apple CEO Tim Cook, who took office on August 24, 2011, in an interview admitted he was hesitant to work for the company and that he had declined several offers from Apple in 1998. He said, "I was at Compaq, I was happy...they were persistent". However, within five minutes of meeting Steve Jobs he knew he wanted to join Apple.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:17 pm on 24 Aug

read more at Google

Musk and his cousins to buy $100 mn of SolarCity bonds

short by Rahul Raj / 07:07 pm on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

SolarCity Chairman Elon Musk and his cousins, SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive and CTO Peter Rive are buying $100 million of bonds from the US-based solar power company SolarCity Corp. While Musk is buying $65 million of bonds, the Rive brothers are buying $17.5 million of bonds each. The purchase comes as Tesla works to acquire SolarCity.

short by Rahul Raj / 07:07 pm on 24 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Facebook saw over 1.5 bn Rio Games' interactions

short by Dishant Sharma / 07:02 pm on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Facebook witnessed more than 1.5 billion interactions including likes, posts, comments and shares, related to the Rio Olympics throughout its duration. The most popular event among users was swimming, followed by gymnastics. American swimmer Michael Phelps' live video on Facebook, prior to his last Olympic event, was the most-watched live video on the platform, garnering over 3.97 million views.

short by Dishant Sharma / 07:02 pm on 24 Aug

read more at Mashable

iPhone minus headphone jack would tick off people: Woz

short by Vani Vivek / 06:58 pm on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak has said that if the latest iPhone ships without a headphone jack, it would "tick off a lot of people". Reports suggest that unlike previous generations, the iPhone 7 will not have a 3.5 mm jack, instead users will have to buy additional adaptors to connect earphones to the phone.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:58 pm on 24 Aug

read more at Google

Singapore to cut off internet access for govt workers

short by Rahul Raj / 06:54 pm on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Singapore is working on a new policy to cut off web access for its public servants, which is reportedly aimed at protecting the city-state from cyber attacks and espionage. The policy will go into effect by May 2017, but the government workers will still be allowed to access internet from personal or government-issued devices.

short by Rahul Raj / 06:54 pm on 24 Aug

read more at Reuters

Tesla unveils its fastest electric car 'Model S'

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:38 pm on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Tesla on Tuesday unveiled a new version of its Model S sedan that goes from 0-100 kmph in 2.5 seconds, making it the company's fastest electric car in production. The new Model S has also become the first electric sedan that can travel over 480 kms on single charge. The car will be launched at a base price of $134,500.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:38 pm on 24 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Smart ring allows payments via gestures at $53

short by Vani Vivek / 04:48 pm on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

The Visa-enabled 'NFC Ring', which was tested out by select athletes during Rio Olympics, is available for pre-order at $53. The water-resistant ring is made from ceramic and allows users to unlock their phones, share data and make payments through gestures. The ring replaces users' account numbers with a unique digital identifier to process payments without exposing actual account details.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:48 pm on 24 Aug

read more at Engadget

Google to penalise mobile sites showing intrusive ads

short by Rahul Raj / 04:45 pm on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Google on Tuesday announced that it will start penalising mobile sites that show intrusive ads when a user first opens a webpage by ranking them lower in its search results. As 85% of all webpages are now mobile friendly, it will also declutter its search results by removing the 'mobile-friendly' label which highlights easy-to-read pages on mobile devices.

short by Rahul Raj / 04:45 pm on 24 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Google hires Tom Moore to lead Project Loon

short by Rahul Raj / 04:44 pm on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Google on Tuesday announced that it has hired Tom Moore, a satellite broadband industry expert, to lead its Project Loon. Moore will join as Vice President at X and General Manager of Project Loon in September. Product of Google's research division X, Project Loon will try to put internet-emitting balloons into the stratosphere over remote parts of the world.

short by Rahul Raj / 04:44 pm on 24 Aug

read more at Engadget

Tim Cook had offered his liver to Steve Jobs

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:38 pm on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly offered a part of his liver to Steve Jobs, who was suffering from a type of pancreatic cancer in 2009, as per a biography on Jobs. The offer for the transplant was refused by the Apple Co-founder, who died of the cancer in 2011. Notably, Cook was appointed the Apple CEO on August 24, 2011.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 04:38 pm on 24 Aug

read more at Google

Hundreds swarm Taipei streets to catch rare Pokémon

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:18 pm on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Hundreds of Pokémon Go mobile game players recently swarmed one of the busiest areas of Taipei in Taiwan to catch a rare Pokémon named 'Snorlax'. The crowd brought the traffic to a standstill, sparking complaints from the local residents about blocked roads. The mobile game was launched in Taiwan on August 6.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:18 pm on 24 Aug

read more at YouTube

China deploys electric sanitation vehicles

short by Yash Kumar / 08:05 am on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

China's capital Beijing has deployed electric sanitation vehicles to replace existing gas-driven vehicles to cut down on high emission levels in the city. The new vehicles include 26 modes covering sanitation functions like road sweeping, garbage transportation and garbage disposal. Reports suggest each 16-tonne vehicle will cut down on carbon dioxide levels by 80 tonnes a year.

short by Yash Kumar / 08:05 am on 24 Aug

Startup launches e-bicycle 'Kyoto' for women

short by Satyaki Das / 02:37 am on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

US-based e-bicycle startup Karmic Bikes has launched their newest model, a 'pedelec' (pedal-electric bicycle) designed for women. The bicycle features 11 speed components, hydraulic disc brakes, and is powered by 500 Wh battery, giving riders 80 km range in 'normal' mode, and even more in 'eco' mode. The company is offering the Kyoto at $1799 via a Kickstarter campaign.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:37 am on 24 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Microsoft launches Xbox Onesie jumpsuit in Aus

short by Satyaki Das / 02:30 am on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Microsoft has launched the Xbox Onesie jumpsuit, a one-piece zip-up casual garment available in white or black, for its gamer community in Australia. It features enlarged pockets to fit an Xbox Controller and Media Remotes, an arm pouch for a mobile phone, forearm grips to prevent slipping, and an extra-large hood to accommodate headsets.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:30 am on 24 Aug

read more at The Verge

Opera launches VPN service for Android

short by Satyaki Das / 02:20 am on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Browser developer Opera has launched a free VPN service for Android, allowing users to run apps and visit sites anonymously. It doesn't require users to create an account, doesn't have limits on data consumption, and features a Wi-Fi test tool that runs safety checks on available networks. Users can choose from five server locations including the US, Canada and Germany.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:20 am on 24 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Drone with 1st person view can reach 80 kmph

short by Satyaki Das / 02:16 am on 24 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Paris-based wireless device manufacturer Parrot has developed a fixed-wing drone, Disco, that can fly at speeds up to 80 km/hr for 45 minutes, and features a 'Cockpitglasses' system that lets users get a first-person view. Priced at $1,300, the drone, which will launch next month, also sports a 14-megapixel wide-angle camera which sends the video feed to the users' smartphones.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:16 am on 24 Aug

read more at YouTube

Robot lets children attend school from sickbed

short by Satyaki Das / 11:55 pm on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Norwegian startup 'No Isolation' has developed a robot that enables children recovering from long-term illness to attend school and communicate with friends from their sickbed. The avatar robot can be placed on a desk at school and can be controlled from home using cameras, microphones, and speakers, allowing the children to avoid social isolation caused by long-term absence.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:55 pm on 23 Aug

read more at YouTube

Delphi, Mobileye partner for self-driving tech

short by Rahul Raj / 09:11 pm on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Automotive technology supplier Delphi and driver assistance systems maker Mobileye, which used to provide support for Tesla's autopilot system, on Tuesday announced partnership for a self-driving system. The system would let automakers integrate it into their cars starting 2019. The two firms will invest "several hundred million dollars" for the development of turnkey self-drive system.

short by Rahul Raj / 09:11 pm on 23 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Video shows OnePlus 3 surviving nine durability tests

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:12 pm on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus has released a video where it shows its latest flagship smartphone OnePlus 3 surviving nine durability tests at the company's factory. The video includes bend, twist, drop, impact and weather stress tests among others. OnePlus claims that the smartphone worked perfectly fine after the tests.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:12 pm on 23 Aug

read more at YouTube

New router's Wi-Fi zone stretches to 4,000 sq-ft

short by Rahul Raj / 07:48 pm on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Netgear has launched a new $400 Wi-Fi system called Orbi, which the company claims can cover up to 4,000 square-feet of living space. The kit comes with a router and satellite, both of which have four Gigabit ethernet ports. Unlike other systems, Orbi has two separate channels for devices, and one dedicated channel for the satellite.

short by Rahul Raj / 07:48 pm on 23 Aug

read more at Engadget

Over 1 billion websites are currently running

short by Vani Vivek / 06:31 pm on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

There are over one billion websites currently operational on the world wide web. The milestone was first achieved in September 2014 but underwent monthly fluctuations before stabilising above the one billion mark in March 2016. The world wide web was made available to the public 25 years ago on August 23, 1991.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:31 pm on 23 Aug

read more at Tweet Collection

Emails were invented before the World Wide Web

short by Vani Vivek / 05:56 pm on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

The inventor of electronic mail Raymond Tomlinson sent the first email to himself in 1971 via a computer network called ARPANET, 18 years before the World Wide Web was invented. Tomlinson said the first message was likely "QWERTYIOP or something similar". 'Internaut Day' was celebrated on Tuesday to mark 25 years since the World Wide Web was publicly made available.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:56 pm on 23 Aug

read more at Guinness World Records

Tokyo Olympic medals may be made from recycled phones

short by Vani Vivek / 05:29 pm on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Japan is reportedly planning on using metal from discarded smartphones and small consumer electronics to produce the medals for 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The gold and silver in such electronics in Japan is equal to 16% and 22% of the world's total supply respectively, said the report. Notably, UN has termed e-waste as "one of the world's fastest growing waste streams".

short by Vani Vivek / 05:29 pm on 23 Aug

read more at Engadget

MIT builds a self-assembling cell phone

short by Rahul Raj / 05:00 pm on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Researchers at MIT have built a fully functional self-assembling cell phone using a basic block design. There are six parts of the phone which are put in a rotating tumbler and with time, the correct pieces stick together to form a functional cell phone. The parts come with magnetised locks at the corners which join with compatible pieces only.

short by Rahul Raj / 05:00 pm on 23 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Tennis players most right swiped during Rio: Tinder

short by Rahul Raj / 04:48 pm on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

According to data revealed by Tinder, male Tennis players and female Table Tennis players received the most number of right-swipes during the 2016 Rio Olympics. Weightlifting and gymnastics were also popular sports for males, while field hockey and rowing were popular for females. Users' bios were recorded by Tinder to identify which sport the athletes were associated with.

short by Rahul Raj / 04:48 pm on 23 Aug

read more at Mashable

Iraq has built a robotic vehicle to fight ISIS

short by Rahul Raj / 04:48 pm on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Iraq has built a robotic vehicle which will reportedly be used to fight ISIS and take back control of a northern Iraqi city. The car-sized and tank-like robot is equipped with an automatic machine gun and a rocket launcher. It has four cameras which make it possible for operators to control the robot using a laptop from a kilometre away.

short by Rahul Raj / 04:48 pm on 23 Aug

read more at Engadget

Roborace reveals self-driving race car prototype

short by Rahul Raj / 04:12 pm on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Roborace, the autonomous racing series which will run alongside Formula E next season, has revealed a self-driving race car prototype. Participating teams during the series will build their hardware and software upon the test car's basic kit 'DevBot'. Roborace is the first global championship for driverless cars and its first season will reportedly begin in 2016-2017.

short by Rahul Raj / 04:12 pm on 23 Aug

read more at YouTube

World Wide Web opened to public 25 years ago

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:54 pm on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

The World Wide Web, an information space where web resources can be accessed through the internet, was opened to the public 25 years ago on August 23, 1991. It was invented by British scientist Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 at CERN, a European organisation for nuclear research. The web was originally developed for sharing information between scientists across the world.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:54 pm on 23 Aug

read more at Google

Google starts rolling out Android Nougat

short by Vani Vivek / 03:20 pm on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Tech giant Google on Monday started rolling out Android 7.0 Nougat to Nexus devices including Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P and Nexus 9. And, the upcoming LG V20 will be the first smartphone to ship with Nougat. According to Google, Android Nougat will have over 250 major features like multi-window view, better battery life, and file-based encryption.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:20 pm on 23 Aug

read more at Google Blog

Mumbai group makes app to report, track potholes

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 12:22 pm on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

A citizen group in Mumbai has developed an app, called Spothole, that allows people to report the potholes in the city. Users can click pictures of potholes and the app automatically geotags them and saves the information for others to view. The group is also requesting civic authorities to collaborate with them and use the app to track and fill the potholes.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 12:22 pm on 23 Aug

read more at The Better India

Nanowires created using modified soil bacteria

short by Satyaki Das / 09:00 am on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

US-based researchers have created nanowires using genetically modified soil bacteria Geobacter, a species abundantly occurring in nature. Replacing the bacterial amino acids with tryptophan to increase conductivity, the team created wires smaller and more durable than conventional ones. If incorporated, future computer processors could reportedly be made using natural resources like plant waste.

short by Satyaki Das / 09:00 am on 23 Aug

read more at Engadget

Microsoft to pay users to use its Edge browser

short by Satyaki Das / 04:01 am on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Microsoft has launched Microsoft Rewards in an attempt to incentivise users to use its Edge browser. Edge users who sign up to Microsoft Rewards are awarded points for using the browser for up to 30 hours a month. Points can be exchanged for vouchers at Starbucks, Skype, or Amazon. The system is currently available only to US users.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:01 am on 23 Aug

read more at The Guardian

Robotic holder adds moving targets to beer pong

short by Satyaki Das / 03:08 am on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

US-based Alan Dorfman and Jayson Esterow have created the Pongbot, a robotic cup holder that adds moving targets to beer pong. Equipped with a holder to hold up to five cups, the Pongbot can be set to move randomly around a table or can be controlled via a remote. Priced at $40, the product has been launched on Kickstarter.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:08 am on 23 Aug

read more at Engadget

Apple acquires personal health startup Gliimpse

short by Satyaki Das / 02:52 am on 23 Aug 2016,Tuesday

According to reports, Apple has acquired Gliimpse, a California-based personal health data startup. Founded in 2013 by Anil Sethi, a former Apple systems engineer, the startup lets users build their own comprehensive medical profile by pulling reports from various sources into a single virtual space. Its users can then share the comprehensive data with anyone.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:52 am on 23 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Bill Gates net worth hits all-time high of $90bn

short by Twishy Shahi / 09:33 pm on 22 Aug 2016,Monday

World's richest person Bill Gates net worth hit an all-time high of $90 billion on Friday following gains in the shares of some of the companies owned by him. Gates' net worth is now $13.5 billion more than the world’s second richest person Amancio Ortega, who founded Zara. The Microsoft co-founder's fortune is now equal to 0.5% of US GDP.

short by Twishy Shahi / 09:33 pm on 22 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Jesus VR to be screened at Venice Film Festival

short by Prashanti Moktan / 07:38 pm on 22 Aug 2016,Monday

The film 'Jesus VR – The Story Of Christ' is set to be screened at the Venice Film Festival, which starts from August 31 onwards. The film was shot entirely in 360-degree 4K video format. The film's producers have promised viewers a "you-are-there experience" in the film, which dates back to over 2,000 years ago.

short by Prashanti Moktan / 07:38 pm on 22 Aug

read more at Google

Jharkhand village to get its own WhatsApp group

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:49 pm on 22 Aug 2016,Monday

Jharkhand's Hirachuni village is set to get its own WhatsApp group, Facebook page and blog with the name 'Digital Hirachuni' under the Digital India program. The village is home to 300 people living in 60 houses and majority of them are literate and have internet connectivity. The villagers will also get their separate email addresses.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:49 pm on 22 Aug

read more at India Today

Singer Streisand asked Apple CEO to correct Siri

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:56 pm on 22 Aug 2016,Monday

American singer Barbra Streisand has revealed that she called Apple CEO Tim Cook to get Apple's voice assistant Siri to pronounce her name correctly. Streisand said, "Siri pronounces my name wrong...Streisand with a soft S, like sand on the beach." She added that Cook agreed and said that the pronunciation will be fixed with the next update on September 30th.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:56 pm on 22 Aug

read more at Mashable

US agency used a special tool to spy on Cisco

short by Rahul Raj / 04:46 pm on 22 Aug 2016,Monday

Recent analysis on the data from Equation Group, an NSA-associated hacking outfit, has revealed that the US security agency used a specialised tool called 'BenignCertain' to spy on Cisco firewalls for years. Cisco confirmed in a post that its secure virtual private network (VPN) data was read by extracting encryption keys on old firewalls, which were last supported in 2009.

short by Rahul Raj / 04:46 pm on 22 Aug

read more at Engadget

Samsung to sell refurbished premium phones: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:13 pm on 22 Aug 2016,Monday

South Korean electronics company Samsung is reportedly planning to launch a program where it will sell refurbished premium smartphones. Samsung will refurbish high-end phones returned to the company under one-year upgrade programs in markets including South Korea and the US. The company will re-sell these smartphones at a lower price.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:13 pm on 22 Aug

read more at Reuters

Vets 3D-print prosthetics for injured animals

short by Sanira Mediratta / 03:55 pm on 22 Aug 2016,Monday

Animal Avengers, a Brazil-based team of six members saves lives of severely injured animals by using 3D printed prosthetics to replace the animals' damaged parts. The group started working together in June 2015 to help wild and domestic animals. They have previously reconstructed artificial beaks for birds and built a replacement shell for an injured tortoise.

short by Sanira Mediratta / 03:55 pm on 22 Aug

read more at YouTube

Algorithm detects depression from Insta photos

short by Satyaki Das / 01:31 am on 22 Aug 2016,Monday

MIT researchers have developed a new algorithm that can detect depression in an individual from their Instagram photos. Combining data from standard clinical depression surveys with Instagram photo ratings for 170 test subjects, the algorithm correctly identified 70% of depressed individuals. Findings indicate that depressed individuals tend to post bluer, grayer images and receive fewer likes.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:31 am on 22 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Brin once admitted he shouldn't have worked on Google+

short by Vani Vivek / 11:53 pm on 21 Aug 2016,Sunday

Google Co-founder Sergey Brin admitted in a conference that it "was probably a mistake for [him] to be working on anything tangentially related to social", when asked about Google+ and its social media competitors. "I'm just not a very social person...I don't connect with a lot of people. I'm kind of weirdo", added the billionaire who turned 43 on Sunday.

short by Vani Vivek / 11:53 pm on 21 Aug

read more at The Verge

Google Co-founder Brin is world's 13th richest person

short by Vani Vivek / 10:10 pm on 21 Aug 2016,Sunday

Google Co-founder Sergey Brin, who turned 43 on Sunday, is the world's 13th richest person with a net worth of $37.9 billion. The Moscow-born entrepreneur stands 6th on Forbes' '100 Richest Tech Billionaires In The World In 2016' list. Brin is presently serving as the President of Alphabet, Google's parent company and runs its secretive X division.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:10 pm on 21 Aug

read more at Forbes

Google began as a research project 'BackRub'

short by Vani Vivek / 08:27 pm on 21 Aug 2016,Sunday

Google Co-founder Sergey Brin, who turned 43 on Sunday, met Larry Page at Stanford University in 1995 and the duo worked together on a research project titled 'BackRub', calling it a "web crawler" designed to roam the web. BackRub operated on Stanford's servers for a year before shutting down for taking too much bandwidth. The Google.com domain was registered in 1997.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:27 pm on 21 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Facebook's US interns earned $7,500 a month in 2015

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:57 pm on 21 Aug 2016,Sunday

According to Glassdoor, interns at Facebook's US campus earned up to $7,500 (over ₹5 lakh) per month in 2015. This was higher than the average salary of the country, which stood at $3,800 (over ₹2.5 lakh). According to the interns, they also received free food, theatre performances and tours during their internships.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:57 pm on 21 Aug

read more at Daily Mail

Google Co-founders own a 180-seater Boeing plane

short by Vani Vivek / 06:52 pm on 21 Aug 2016,Sunday

Of the reported eight private jets owned by Google Co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, one is a used 180-seater Boeing 767-200 airliner. The plane, called 'Google Jet', is almost 70% longer and over thrice as heavy as conventional executive jets. Brin, who turned 43 on Sunday, reportedly argued with Page over having a "California king-sized" bed aboard the plane.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:52 pm on 21 Aug

read more at Google

Facial recognition login hacked using FB photos

short by Vani Vivek / 04:46 pm on 21 Aug 2016,Sunday

Researchers from the University of North Carolina have demonstrated how facial recognition systems can be hacked using publicly available photographs of individuals. The researchers created 3D models of the volunteers' faces using three to 27 photos of each individual from social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn and edited their eyes to direct them towards the camera.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:46 pm on 21 Aug

read more at Engadget

Steve Jobs enters Int'l Photography Hall of Fame

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:45 pm on 21 Aug 2016,Sunday

Apple's late Co-founder Steve Jobs has entered the International Photography Hall of Fame (IPHF), a US museum and foundation that honours inventors and photographers. "Steve helped create products that revolutionised the creative world and became essential tools for designers, filmmakers, music producers and photographers," said the museum.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:45 pm on 21 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Oracle admits funding anti-Google group

short by Vani Vivek / 04:01 pm on 21 Aug 2016,Sunday

Oracle has admitted to funding Campaign for Accountability, a non-profit group that runs 'The Google Transparency Project' to "expose how decisions made behind the doors of corporate boardrooms...impact Americans’ lives". Oracle's Senior Vice President Ken Glueck said, "Oracle is absolutely a contributor to the Transparency Project. This is important information for the public to know”.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:01 pm on 21 Aug

read more at Engadget

Google Co-founder got married in a swimsuit

short by Vani Vivek / 03:31 pm on 21 Aug 2016,Sunday

Google Co-founder Sergey Brin and his ex-wife Anne Wojcicki got married on a private island in the Bahamas, wearing swimsuits. The bride, sister of YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, wore a white bathing suit and the groom wore a black one, according to guests at the 2007 wedding. Brin, who turned 43 on Sunday, has two children with Wojcicki.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:31 pm on 21 Aug

read more at Google

Apple rebrands retail outlets, drops 'Store'

short by Vani Vivek / 03:24 pm on 21 Aug 2016,Sunday

Apple has changed the name of its retail outlets from 'Apple Store' to simply 'Apple'. In addition to the company naming its latest outlet 'Apple World Trade Center', the change in branding has also been implemented on its website. Through this rebranding, Apple reportedly aims to position its stores as a gathering place for communities, rather than just regular shops.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:24 pm on 21 Aug

read more at Daily Mail

Barack Obama hits 10 mn followers on Twitter

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:09 pm on 21 Aug 2016,Sunday

US President Barack Obama on Saturday hit 10 million followers on Twitter. Obama, who uses the handle '@POTUS' on Twitter, joined the micro-blogging site in June 2013. Twitter celebrated the milestone by posting a video that featured Obama's best tweets through the years and said, "Thank you for all the incredible tweets."

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:09 pm on 21 Aug

read more at Twitter

Wikipedia Co-founder's Twitter account hacked

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:29 pm on 21 Aug 2016,Sunday

The Twitter account of Wikipedia Co-founder Jimmy Wales was hacked on Saturday. The account tweeted, "RIP Jimmy Wales, 1966 – 2016" and "I confirm that Wikipedia is all lies OurMine team is the true." The responsibility for the hacking was claimed by hacker group OurMine, which previously claimed hacking accounts of Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:29 pm on 21 Aug

read more at Mashable

Infosys gave stocks of over ₹50,000 crore to employees

short by Vani Vivek / 10:14 pm on 20 Aug 2016,Saturday

Infosys Co-founder Narayana Murthy revealed in the company's 2011 Annual Report that Infosys had given away ₹50,000 crore worth of stock options to its employees. "Every Indian employee at every level who joined us on or before March 2010 is a stockholder of Infosys", wrote the industrialist, who turned 70 on Saturday, in his last letter as the company's Chairman.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:14 pm on 20 Aug

read more at The Verge

Infosys received a buyout offer of $1 million in 1990

short by Vani Vivek / 09:28 pm on 20 Aug 2016,Saturday

As revealed by Narayana Murthy in a lecture at the New York University, Infosys received a buyout offer of $1 million in 1990 from an external investor. Since the Co-founders of the company wanted to accept the offer, Murthy, who turned 70 on Saturday, offered to buy his colleagues out although he "didn't have a cent in (his) pocket".

short by Vani Vivek / 09:28 pm on 20 Aug

read more at Forbes

Murthy borrowed ₹10,000 from wife to start Infosys

short by Vani Vivek / 08:30 pm on 20 Aug 2016,Saturday

In 1981, NR Narayana Murthy and six engineers in Pune established Infosys with an initial capital of ₹10,000 borrowed from Murthy's wife, Sudha. Murthy, who turned 70 on Saturday, served as the Chairman of the software company for over 20 years. In 35 years, the market capitalisation of Infosys has risen to ₹2.33 trillion.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:30 pm on 20 Aug

read more at Google

LG modular phone faces heat over broken parts

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:23 pm on 20 Aug 2016,Saturday

LG's modular smartphone G5 is facing heat from its users over broken parts, power buttons, software issues, blown out speakers and poor battery life. A user has claimed that he has bought his fourth camera module after first three refused to function. The South Korean electronics maker is the first mainstream smartphone manufacturer to launch a consumer modular phone.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:23 pm on 20 Aug

read more at Mashable

Zuckerberg sells $95 mn Facebook shares for charity

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:42 pm on 20 Aug 2016,Saturday

In his first big share sale to fund his family's philanthropic initiative, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has sold over 7,60,000 of his company shares worth $95 million for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have pledged to donate 99% of their Facebook shares to the initiative, which funds companies in the health, science and education space.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:42 pm on 20 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Narayana Murthy was imprisoned for 3 days without food

short by Vani Vivek / 07:29 pm on 20 Aug 2016,Saturday

In 1974, Narayana Murthy was put in an 8x8-foot cell without food for three days in Bulgaria by authorities who believed he had been criticising the country's communist government. Murthy, who turned 70 on Saturday, admitted in a speech that incident transformed him from "a confused Leftist into a...compassionate capitalist", and led to the eventual founding of Infosys in 1981.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:29 pm on 20 Aug

read more at Google

'Apple under Cook never made a product that's ugly'

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:20 pm on 20 Aug 2016,Saturday

Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak during a roundtable at Singapore said Apple under Cook has never "made a product that is real awful and ugly." Wozniak added, "I very much admire Tim Cook for standing up for the privacy of individuals." Cook will be completing five years as Apple CEO on August 24, after taking over from Steve Jobs in 2011.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:20 pm on 20 Aug

read more at Google

TIME named Murthy 'Father of Indian IT sector'

short by Vani Vivek / 06:50 pm on 20 Aug 2016,Saturday

In a list of India's most influential people marking 60 years of independence, TIME magazine named Infosys Co-founder "father of India's booming IT sector". The Indian industrialist, who helped found global software consulting firm Infosys in 1981, turned 70 on Saturday. Murthy also serves on the boards of Ford Foundation, United Nations Foundation and Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:50 pm on 20 Aug

read more at Reuters

Very happy with the way Apple is going: Co-founder

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:35 pm on 20 Aug 2016,Saturday

Technology giant Apple's Co-founder Steve Wozniak during a roundtable in Singapore said, "I am very happy with the way Apple is going." Wozniak added, "When Steve Jobs died...a lot of people said, 'Apple has lost a key force and will be in decline and won't be innovative.' I said wait for a couple of years, don't be judgemental."

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:35 pm on 20 Aug

read more at Google

Go home Motorola you're drunk, tweets a user

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:16 pm on 20 Aug 2016,Saturday

Reacting to Motorola's accusation of Samsung stealing its always on display feature, a user tweeted, "Go home Motorola you're drunk. The Nokia N86 was the first to use an always on display in 2009." Another user tweeted, "Didn't you steal the home button+finger print scanner from Apple and @SamsungMobile?" A user also tweeted, "Imitation is best form of flattery."

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:16 pm on 20 Aug

read more at Tweet Collection

Google to end Chrome app support for Windows, Mac

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:57 pm on 20 Aug 2016,Saturday

Google on Friday announced to fully end support for its Chrome apps on Windows, Mac and Linux platforms by early 2018. The company said that the active users of the Chrome apps on these platforms are approximately 1%. Google added that from late 2016, the newly-published Chrome apps will only be available to users on Chrome OS.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:57 pm on 20 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Murthy was named in Fortune's 'Greatest Entrepreneurs'

short by Vani Vivek / 04:46 pm on 20 Aug 2016,Saturday

Narayana Murthy was the only Indian to be featured in 'The 12 greatest entrepreneurs of our time' list by Fortune in 2012. The Infosys Co-founder was included in the list of people "who turned concepts into companies and changed the face of business". Murthy, who turned 70 on Saturday, was accredited with putting the Indian economy "on the world stage".

short by Vani Vivek / 04:46 pm on 20 Aug

read more at Engadget

Nintendo once made a game featuring Hitler, baby Jesus

short by Vani Vivek / 04:10 pm on 20 Aug 2016,Saturday

In 1991, Nintendo published a game called 'Time Twist' exclusively in Japan featuring Adolf Hitler, Jesus, and white supremacy group Ku Klux Klan. The text-based game was set in historical locations and involved themes like religion, war, and racism. Video game promotion platform 'Hardcore Gaming 101' said, "[It's] like someone read Nintendo's censorship guidelines and...broke all of them".

short by Vani Vivek / 04:10 pm on 20 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Motorola calls Samsung a copycat on Twitter

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:38 pm on 20 Aug 2016,Saturday

Motorola took to Twitter on Friday to accuse Samsung of stealing its always on display feature for smartphones. Motorola tweeted, "In what galaxy is it okay to steal competitor phones’ cool features? #TheOriginalAlwaysOnDisplay #motozdroid." Motorola in 2013 had launched Moto X smartphone that featured always on display. A similar feature is available in Samsung's recently launched Galaxy Note 7.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:38 pm on 20 Aug

read more at Twitter

NASA astronauts spacewalk to install dock on ISS

short by Satyaki Das / 02:23 am on 20 Aug 2016,Saturday

NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Jeff Williams on Friday concluded their nearly six-hour spacewalk after installing a new dock onto the International Space Station (ISS). The dock will be used in 2017 by private companies Boeing and SpaceX to start transporting crew to and from the station, marking it the first such instance for private companies.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:23 am on 20 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Image search engine lets users draw their query

short by Satyaki Das / 02:01 am on 20 Aug 2016,Saturday

Stock photo service 500px on Thursday launched a search engine to discover photos based on drawings instead of text queries. Called Splash, the engine lets users draw the image they are looking for on a blank space with colour brushes of selectable size. 500px’s algorithm then scans through its database in real-time and returns images resembling the user's sketch.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:01 am on 20 Aug

read more at VentureBeat

Satellite imagery may predict regions of poverty

short by Satyaki Das / 01:54 am on 20 Aug 2016,Saturday

A new research study shows that satellite imagery combined with machine learning algorithms can be used to predict regions of poverty in the world. The proposed algorithm combines daytime and nighttime satellite images with economic survey data to create a more accurate distribution of wealth in a region than that provided by conventional 'night lights' models.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:54 am on 20 Aug

read more at YouTube

Google not a conventional company: Founders before IPO

short by Vani Vivek / 10:14 pm on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

In an IPO letter to its prospective investors, Google Co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin wrote, "Google is not a conventional company. We do not intend to become one." The letter added, "We will not shy away from high-risk, high-reward projects because of short term earnings pressure." Google went public on August 19, 2004, raising $1.9 billion.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:14 pm on 19 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Orville Wright was the first to fly a plane

short by Sumedha Sehra / 09:00 pm on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

The world's first airplane flight was made by Orville Wright, the younger of the two Wright brothers, famously known as the pioneers of aviation. Decided upon a coin toss, Wilbur Wright made an unsuccessful first attempt, damaging the aircraft. Orville Wright, born 145 years ago on August 19, 1871, successfully flew the airplane for the first time three days later.

short by Sumedha Sehra / 09:00 pm on 19 Aug

read more at Google

Google IPO made over 1,000 millionaires

short by Vani Vivek / 08:56 pm on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

Three years after Google's IPO on August 19, 2004, it was estimated that about 1,000 people each held over $5 million worth of Google shares from stock grants and stock options. Larry Page and Sergey Brin, founders of the company which started with 40 employees, currently have an estimated net worth of $38.8 billion and $38 billion respectively.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:56 pm on 19 Aug

read more at Google

Google Founders' Playboy interview put IPO in trouble

short by Vani Vivek / 08:53 pm on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

A seven-page interview by Google Co-founders in the Playboy magazine threatened to delay the company's IPO, which ultimately continued uninterrupted on August 19, 2004. The interview reportedly contained misleading statements. Securities and Exchange Commission requires companies to observe a 'quiet period' before the IPO, restricting executives from influencing how investors perceive the stock.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:53 pm on 19 Aug

read more at Google

Cricket taught me leadership: Microsoft CEO Nadella

short by Vani Vivek / 06:53 pm on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella once revealed in an interview that playing cricket for his school in Hyderabad taught him "about working in teams and leadership" that stayed with him throughout his career. Nadella, who turned 49 on Friday, recollected an incident where his school captain let him bowl an over despite him not playing well to build his confidence.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:53 pm on 19 Aug

read more at Google

Twitter suspends 235k accounts over terrorism

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:23 pm on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

Twitter on Thursday said that it has suspended 235,000 accounts in the last six months over promotion of terrorism. "Daily suspensions are up over 80% since last year, with spikes in suspensions immediately following terrorist attacks," Twitter added. Earlier in February, Twitter announced suspending over 125,000 accounts for violent threats or promoting terrorist acts.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:23 pm on 19 Aug

read more at Twitter Blog

Pocket-sized power bank that charges laptop made

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:37 pm on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

A US-based startup has developed a $249 pocket-sized power bank named 'Omnicharge Pro', that can charge a laptop and a smartphone at the same time. The 20,400 mAh power bank comes with three outlets including two USB ports and a three-pronged AC/DC outlet. It also has a LED panel that displays the battery's temperature and remaining charging time.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:37 pm on 19 Aug

read more at YouTube

Honored, humbled, excited: CEO Nadella's 1st interview

short by Vani Vivek / 05:31 pm on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

In his first interview after being named the CEO of Microsoft in 2014, Satya Nadella said he was "honored, humbled, excited" to be offered the position. Nadella said his first priority as CEO would be to "ruthlessly remove any obstacles" keeping Microsoft from innovating. Nadella, who turned 49 on Friday, is the first non-American CEO of Microsoft.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:31 pm on 19 Aug

read more at YouTube

MEA launches app integrating its social media handles

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 04:43 pm on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

The External Affairs Ministry on Thursday launched an app integrating the websites and social media handles of over 170 Indian missions abroad on a common platform. The app has been developed by Facebook for free, an official from the social media firm said. This is in sync with Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj's activism over Twitter, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 04:43 pm on 19 Aug

read more at The Financial Express

McDonald's pulls fitness tracker on skin rashes

short by Vani Vivek / 04:05 pm on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

McDonald's has stopped distributing 'Step It' activity trackers with Happy Meals, less than a week after introducing the wearables in US and Canada following claims that they could cause rashes. "We have taken this swift and voluntary step after receiving limited reports of potential skin irritations that may be associated from wearing the band," said a McDonald's spokesperson.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:05 pm on 19 Aug

read more at Mashable

Nadella was highest paid tech CEO in US with $84mn

short by Vani Vivek / 03:54 pm on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella was the highest paid tech CEO in the United States in 2015, with an annual pay of $84.3 million. Overall, he was placed fourth on the 'Top 200 Highest-Paid CEOs' list by The New York Times and Equilar. Nadella, who turned 49 on Friday, was named the CEO of Microsoft in 2014.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:54 pm on 19 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Next Apple Watch may not have cellular network

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:30 pm on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

Apple's next smartwatch scheduled to release this year, will reportedly not have cellular connectivity. As the currently available cellular chip would have drained the Watch's battery, the feature has been pushed to a later generation. A cellular network in the Watch in the future would allow download of sports score alerts, e-mail and Maps information without connecting with an iPhone.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:30 pm on 19 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Google to open 14,000-sq ft startup space in US

short by Vani Vivek / 02:29 pm on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

Google on Thursday announced its plans to open a 14,000-square-foot space for startups and developers in San Francisco this September. The space will host events like developer meet-ups, Codelabs, and Tech Talks. The third class of Launchpad Accelerator, Google's program under which it provides startups with resources and up to $50,000 in equity-free funding, will also be held there.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:29 pm on 19 Aug

read more at Google Blog

MIT team store memories in DNA of human cells

short by Satyaki Das / 01:12 am on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

MIT engineers have devised an analog memory storage system to record complex histories in human cell DNA, allowing cells to retrieve information about the duration and intensity of past events. Based on a principle that programs cells to flip DNA sections when certain events occur. The system could help scientists study genetic impacts of diseases like cancer.

short by Satyaki Das / 01:12 am on 19 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

FB, Unity partner to streamline game publishing

short by Satyaki Das / 12:55 am on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

Facebook on Thursday announced its partnership with game engine Unity for streamlining the process of exporting and publishing games from Unity onto Facebook. Developers have until August 31 to apply for an alpha version of the export tool, allowing them to build and export games from Unity to the Facebook app, which reportedly hosts around 650 million gamers each month.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:55 am on 19 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Hyperloop VR app simulates Amsterdam-Paris trip

short by Satyaki Das / 12:21 am on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

Dutch ad agency INDG has built a virtual reality app to simulate a trip from Amsterdam to Paris in 30 minutes in a Hyperloop pod. The app, which includes an exploded-view diagram to explain basic Hyperloop mechanics, supports the work of the Netherlands' Delft University of Technology, which had entered its pod into SpaceX's Hyperloop design competition earlier this year.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:21 am on 19 Aug

read more at The Verge

NASA plans to sell the ISS by mid-2020s

short by Satyaki Das / 12:21 am on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

US space agency NASA plans to hand over control of the International Space Station to a commercial owner sometime around the mid-2020s, a NASA spokesperson has said. "Our desire is to hand the space station over to either a commercial entity... so that research can continue in low-earth orbit", he added. However, NASA did not specify any potential buyer.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:21 am on 19 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

CNN launches drone-based news collection

short by Satyaki Das / 12:16 am on 19 Aug 2016,Friday

American television channel Cable News Network (CNN) has launched a new initiative to use drones to gather news footage. Named CNN Aerial Imagery and Reporting (CNN AIR), the project will employ two full-time drone operators to collect footage for its platforms. CNN has used drones in recent past to cover stories like the Flint water crisis and the Louisiana floods.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:16 am on 19 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

HP made the world's 1st handheld scientific calculator

short by Vani Vivek / 10:54 pm on 18 Aug 2016,Thursday

The first handheld scientific calculator in the world was introduced by technology company HP in 1972. The HP-35 calculator was deemed too expensive by a market study. HP Co-founder Bill Hewlett said, "We figured, in the first year, if we could sell 10,000 calculators, we'd break even. We sold 100,000." HP was incorporated on August 18, 1947.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:54 pm on 18 Aug

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:05 pm on 18 Aug 2016,Thursday

According to a report by American research firm Gartner, Windows' global smartphone market share has dropped to 0.6% in the second quarter of 2016. Its share in the same quarter last year was 2.5%, making it the worst year-on-year decrease this quarter compared to other operating systems. Google's Android topped the list with 86% share, followed by iOS at 12.9%.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:05 pm on 18 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

LeEco sets aside 50% shares for global employees

short by Rahul Raj / 08:49 pm on 18 Aug 2016,Thursday

Chinese technology company LeEco on Wednesday announced that it will set aside 50% of its shares for global employees. The company, which has presence in China, Hong Kong, USA, Russia and India, said that employees at LeEco regional companies will be offered shares of both the parent company and the regional company.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:49 pm on 18 Aug

read more at The Financial Express

Android marketshare hits 86.2%, iOS falls to 12.9%

short by Vani Vivek / 08:42 pm on 18 Aug 2016,Thursday

According to a report by research firm Gartner, Android’s global marketshare increased to 86.2% in the second quarter of 2016 from 82.2% last year, while iOS occupied 12.9% of the market. iOS witnessed a 1.7% drop, its third consecutive quarter with declining sales. The hike in Android devices was accredited to demand from affordable as well as premium segments.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:42 pm on 18 Aug

read more at Report

Uber's self-driving service to start this month in US

short by Vani Vivek / 08:41 pm on 18 Aug 2016,Thursday

Uber Co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick has revealed that users in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will be able to hail self-driving cabs starting later this month. The self-driving cars will be supervised by humans in the driver's seat for now. The fleet consists of modified Volvo XC90 SUVs with sensors that use cameras, lasers, radars, and GPS receivers.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:41 pm on 18 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

HP's founding garage is 'Birthplace of Silicon Valley'

short by Vani Vivek / 07:38 pm on 18 Aug 2016,Thursday

The 12x18-foot garage that Hewlett-Packard (HP) was founded in is officially recognised by the state of California as the 'Birthplace of Silicon Valley'. The technology giant, which was incorporated on August 18, 1947, was started by Stanford University graduates William Hewlett and David Packard at the encouragement of their college professor.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:38 pm on 18 Aug

read more at Google

World's largest aircraft makes maiden flight

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 07:28 pm on 18 Aug 2016,Thursday

Airlander 10, the largest aircraft in the world, made its maiden flight on Wednesday in Bedfordshire, United Kingdom. The 302-foot long aircraft dubbed the 'flying bum' costs £25 million (about ₹219 crore). Part plane and part airship, the aircraft is capable of staying airborne for up to five days during manned flights and two weeks during unmanned flights.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 07:28 pm on 18 Aug

read more at YouTube

Tesla is the biggest disruptor: Apple Co-founder

short by Rahul Raj / 07:09 pm on 18 Aug 2016,Thursday

Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak in an interview on Tuesday called electric vehicle maker Tesla "the biggest disruptor" in today's market. He added, "What Elon Musk does is just really driving toward that future that we can have that is so much more beautiful and not restricted by the way things were done in the past."

short by Rahul Raj / 07:09 pm on 18 Aug

read more at Google

World's first Wi-Fi mouse was made by HP

short by Vani Vivek / 07:00 pm on 18 Aug 2016,Thursday

The world's first wireless mouse equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity was introduced by HP in 2011 at $49.99. The 'Mobile Mouse' was functional 30 feet away from the PC and had a battery life of up to nine months, double that of Bluetooth-enabled models. The technology company was incorporated 69 years ago on August 18, 1947.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:00 pm on 18 Aug

short by Rahul Raj / 06:22 pm on 18 Aug 2016,Thursday

Finland has reportedly started real-world testing of autonomous self-driving mini buses on its public roads in the capital Helsinki. The 12-seater EasyMile EZ10 autonomous mini buses, which are intended as short-range shuttles for people, will run for almost a month during the test. Interestingly, road laws in Finland do not require vehicles to have a driver.

short by Rahul Raj / 06:22 pm on 18 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

HP numbered 1st product '200A' to appear established

short by Vani Vivek / 06:19 pm on 18 Aug 2016,Thursday

HP named its first product 'Model 200A' to seem like an established company with a strong product line. The frequency-generating audio oscillator was priced at $55, whereas competitive oscillators were sold at about $500. Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, who incorporated HP on August 18, 1947, formalised their partnership after selling eight modified oscillators to Walt Disney Studios.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:19 pm on 18 Aug

short by Rahul Raj / 06:15 pm on 18 Aug 2016,Thursday

Aircraft maker Airbus is planning to develop autonomous flying taxis, which can carry passengers and cargo, to tackle problems of growing congestion in urban setups. Airbus subdivision A3's project, codenamed 'Vahana', plans to test a prototype of the same in late 2017. The team is also planning shared autonomous aerial vehicles that ferry passengers, which it is calling "CityAirbus".

short by Rahul Raj / 06:15 pm on 18 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Cisco confirms it will cut up to 5,500 jobs

short by Rahul Raj / 04:41 pm on 18 Aug 2016,Thursday

US-based technology firm Cisco Systems has confirmed it will cut up to 5,500 positions, representing 7% of its global workforce, as a cost-saving measure. After reporting a 2% drop in revenue, Cisco said it is undergoing restructuring to transition from hardware to software-centric business. The job termination payments will cost Cisco about $700 million, which will begin early in 2017.

short by Rahul Raj / 04:41 pm on 18 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Steve Jobs featured on TIME's cover on Aug 18, 1997

short by Vani Vivek / 04:23 pm on 18 Aug 2016,Thursday

Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs graced the cover of TIME magazine on August 18,1997 accompanied by the story, 'Steve's Job: Restart Apple'. The story gave an insight into how Microsoft "saved" Apple by investing $150 million in it. Of his total eight appearances on the cover of TIME magazine, this was Jobs' first cover after his comeback to Apple.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:23 pm on 18 Aug

read more at Twitter

Larry Ellison is world’s 4th richest person

short by Twishy Shahi / 11:22 pm on 17 Aug 2016,Wednesday

With a net worth of of $51.7 billion, Oracle Co-founder Larry Ellison is currently the fourth richest person in the world. The American businessman, who was born on August 17, 1944 to an unwed Jewish mother, turns 72 today and currently serves as the Executive Chairman and Chief Technology Officer of Oracle.

short by Twishy Shahi / 11:22 pm on 17 Aug

read more at Forbes

Oracle Co-founder dropped out twice from college

short by Twishy Shahi / 11:11 pm on 17 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Oracle Co-founder Larry Ellison, who is currently the world’s fourth richest person, has dropped out twice from college. Ellison, who turns 72 today, dropped out of the University of Illinois for not writing his second year final exams after the death of his adoptive mother. He later joined the University of Chicago, and dropped out again after one semester.

short by Twishy Shahi / 11:11 pm on 17 Aug

read more at Google

Google turns to Reddit for speech recognition samples

short by Rahul Raj / 10:36 pm on 17 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Google's third-party vendor Appen is reportedly asking Redditors to submit three-to-five second common voice command samples like 'Indy now' and 'Google what's the time' to train its speech recognition technology. Adults are paid $35 to record 2,000 phrases, while under-17s are paid $26 for 500 phrases. The move attempts at tackling problems of digital assistants not recognising different accents.

short by Rahul Raj / 10:36 pm on 17 Aug

read more at The Verge

Steve Jobs was the photographer in Ellison's marriage

short by Twishy Shahi / 08:32 pm on 17 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs was the official wedding photographer during Oracle Co-founder Larry Ellison's fourth marriage with novelist Melanie Craft in 2003. Larry Ellison and Steve Jobs were very good friends. Ellison, who is currently the world’s 4th richest person, was born on August 17, 1944 and turns 72 today.

short by Twishy Shahi / 08:32 pm on 17 Aug

read more at Google

Galactic universe maps 250k Wikipedia articles

short by Rahul Raj / 08:27 pm on 17 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Wikiverse is an interactive website that casts 250,000 Wikipedia pages as floating points of light in a 3D universe, clustering 'stars' on the same topic together. Users can trace millions of links and paths between art, science, history, and other major topics. Wikiverse Creator Owen Cornec said, "In this universe, articles are threaded together...where proximity equates to related-ness."

short by Rahul Raj / 08:27 pm on 17 Aug

read more at The Verge

HP launches cube-shaped gaming desktop

short by Rahul Raj / 07:50 pm on 17 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Hewlett-Packard launched a cube-shaped gaming desktop Omen X today, starting at $1,799. Angled at 45-degrees on both sides, the desktop comes with 4 GHz Core i7 processor, 8 GB RAM, Radeon RX 480 graphics, 256 GB SSD, 2 TB hard drive and 1,300W power supply, and is customisable with aftermarket accessories. The cubical desktop shell costs $600 by itself.

short by Rahul Raj / 07:50 pm on 17 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Device to see through walls developed

short by Rahul Raj / 07:50 pm on 17 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Israel-based 3D imaging startup Vayyar has developed a $200 device called 'WalabotDIY' that lets users see at least four inches through walls. Using algorithms which detect radio emissions and reflections of different objects, the device and its app figure out what is behind a wall in real-time. The device helps find out wires, studs and pipes behind walls.

short by Rahul Raj / 07:50 pm on 17 Aug

read more at YouTube

Pizza Hut makes first ever playable DJ pizza box

short by Vani Vivek / 07:35 pm on 17 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Pizza Hut on Wednesday introduced the world's first playable DJ pizza box in the UK. The cardboard pizza box, which features two turntables, can be connected to a laptop via Bluetooth and synced with a DJ app to enable controls like volume and pitch speed among others. The boxes will be available exclusively at five Pizza Hut UK outlets.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:35 pm on 17 Aug

read more at YouTube

Singapore ATM allows video-chat with bank teller

short by Vani Vivek / 04:15 pm on 17 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Singapore's national bank POSB on Tuesday launched the country's first 'Video Teller Machine' (VTM) to let ATM users talk to a bank teller live via video chat. Users can perform regular ATM transactions along with branch banking services like requesting for statements directly from the VTM. The machines will also be able to scan fingerprints for authentication.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:15 pm on 17 Aug

read more at Google

Ford to make self-driving cars with no steering wheel

short by Vani Vivek / 04:06 pm on 17 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Ford Motor has announced that it will mass-produce fully autonomous vehicles without brake pedals and steering wheels by 2021. "A driver will not be required", said Ford CEO Mark Fields adding that these vehicles, specially designed for ride-sharing, would "improve safety and solve...environmental challenges for millions of people – not just those who can afford luxury vehicles.”

short by Vani Vivek / 04:06 pm on 17 Aug

read more at YouTube

Microsoft mocks iPad's computer claims in new ad

short by Vani Vivek / 03:54 pm on 17 Aug 2016,Wednesday

In a new advertisement for its Surface Pro 4 tablet, Microsoft takes a jibe at Apple's claims that the iPad Pro tablet is as good as a computer. In the video, Microsoft's intelligent personal assistant Cortana mocks Apple's Siri for not having a 'powerful' processor, external ports or a trackpad, while Siri repeats, "I just got a keyboard".

short by Vani Vivek / 03:54 pm on 17 Aug

read more at YouTube

Cisco laying off 14,000 employees: Reports

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 02:29 pm on 17 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Cisco Systems is laying off about 14,000 employees, nearly 20% of the US-based network equipment maker’s global workforce, technology news site CRN has reported. Cisco requires “different skill sets” for the “software-defined future” than it did in the past, the CRN report said citing a source. The company has already offered early retirement packages to several employees, the site reported.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 02:29 pm on 17 Aug

read more at The Financial Express

Intel unveils all-in-one wireless VR headset

short by Satyaki Das / 05:34 am on 17 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Intel on Tuesday announced it is working on a wireless Virtual Reality (VR) headset called Project Alloy. It contains its own processing power, graphics, batteries and Intel RealSense cameras, and doesn't need to be connected to a phone or computer, unlike other headsets like Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. The company said it will open-source the project's hardware in 2017.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:34 am on 17 Aug

read more at VentureBeat

WikiLeaks releases malware in latest email dump

short by Satyaki Das / 04:51 am on 17 Aug 2016,Wednesday

While publishing its latest email dump, WikiLeaks has released over 80 different variants of malicious software, security expert Vesselin Bontchev confirmed. The collection of emails involves Turkey's ruling AKP political party, and has been found to contain several spam and phishing links. WikiLeaks has claimed the emails bring to focus the corruption within the Turkish government.

short by Satyaki Das / 04:51 am on 17 Aug

read more at Engadget

Bangladesh not to sue US bank over $81mn theft

short by Yash Kumar / 09:30 pm on 16 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Bangladesh's central bank said it will not sue Federal Reserve Bank of New York (Fed) and SWIFT money transfer network, over $81 million stolen by cyber-criminals in February. This comes after reports suggested the Bangladeshi bank will seek compensation from them over the errors. The Fed had mistakenly accepted payment requests from hackers releasing the Bangladeshi bank's money.

short by Yash Kumar / 09:30 pm on 16 Aug

read more at Reuters

Google crash on Aug 16, 2013 took 40% of internet down

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:17 pm on 16 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Google on August 16, 2013 faced an outage for a few minutes, following which the world's internet traffic dropped by 40%. The outage affected every service offered by Google including Google Search, YouTube, Gmail and Google Drive. The services were mostly restored one minute later, and entirely restored after four minutes. Experts estimated that the outage had cost Google $500,000.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:17 pm on 16 Aug

read more at Google

Hackers to put cyber weapons on auction

short by Rahul Raj / 09:16 pm on 16 Aug 2016,Tuesday

A hacker group named 'Shadow Brokers' on Monday said they will put stolen surveillance tools in an online auction. Claiming that these tools were used by a cyber group linked to US' National Security Agency, the hackers released samples of programs on Tumblr which they claim could break into popular firewall software from companies like Cisco, Fortinet and Jupiter Networks.

short by Rahul Raj / 09:16 pm on 16 Aug

read more at Reuters

Israeli army to use augmented reality in battlefields

short by Rahul Raj / 09:00 pm on 16 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Israeli army is planning to use augmented reality technologies in live battlefield situations. The army's C2 Systems Department purchased two HoloLens glasses from Microsoft to develop its technology to improve battlefield strategy and train field personnel, intending to use it on active duty within months. The army is also finding ways for HoloLens-wearing medics to operate on wounded soldiers.

short by Rahul Raj / 09:00 pm on 16 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Indians have highest ego per achievement: Murthy

short by Rahul Raj / 08:40 pm on 16 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Infosys Co-founder Narayana Murthy in a recent lecture said, "The biggest challenge for all of us...is that we, Indians, have the highest ego per unit of achievement." He added, "I would humbly request, we be open-minded to those who have performed better than us." In the lecture, Murthy emphasised on the reasons holding Indian cities back from being world class.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:40 pm on 16 Aug

read more at Google

Phone makers making too many models: Survey

short by Rahul Raj / 08:32 pm on 16 Aug 2016,Tuesday

A recent survey across six countries has revealed that consumers believe mobile phone manufacturers are releasing too many new models. The consumers also said that the manufacturers should be responsible for recycling of their phones. Of all respondents, 80% considered it important that a new smartphone is not produced using hazardous chemicals and must be easily repaired if damaged.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:32 pm on 16 Aug

read more at The Guardian

Tesla Model S catches fire during test drive in France

short by Rahul Raj / 06:08 pm on 16 Aug 2016,Tuesday

US-based electric vehicle maker Tesla's Model S reportedly caught fire during a test drive in France. According to comments from the Reddit user who posted its picture online, the car displayed a 'Problems with charging' message while moving. Tesla responded that all passengers exited the vehicle safely and they are working with authorities to establish facts of the incident.

short by Rahul Raj / 06:08 pm on 16 Aug

read more at Autoblog

Strap holds Apple Watch and analog watch together

short by Vani Vivek / 06:01 pm on 16 Aug 2016,Tuesday

German watchmaker Sinn has launched a 'Dual Strap System' that holds an Apple Watch and a Sinn-brand analog watch on opposite ends to let users wear both at the same time. The system uses two shortened strap halves to fasten the watches together. The band is priced at $120 when purchased with a Sinn watch, and $210 when sold separately.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:01 pm on 16 Aug

read more at YouTube

Hyperloop in talks to build its 1st route in Dubai

short by Rahul Raj / 05:27 pm on 16 Aug 2016,Tuesday

US-based transportation startup Hyperloop One has partnered with the world's third largest port operator DP World to build its first commercial route in Dubai. The team is conducting a feasibility study to assess the possibilities of submerged tubes to ferry cargo at Dubai's Jebel Ali Port. The startup is also studying Russia, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and ports in US.

short by Rahul Raj / 05:27 pm on 16 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Xiaomi phone shipments fall 38.5% in China

short by Vani Vivek / 05:10 pm on 16 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi witnessed a decline of 38.5% in phone shipments in its home market in the second quarter. According to research firm International Data Corp, Xiaomi shipped 10.5 million smartphones in the quarter, down from 17.1 million in the year ago period. The company is currently the fourth-largest competitor in the Chinese market, behind Huawei, OPPO and Vivo.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:10 pm on 16 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Google launches video calling app to rival Skype

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:02 pm on 16 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Google on Monday launched its video calling app Duo, that will rival Microsoft's Skype. It allows making end-to-end encrypted video calls to a user's entire contact list on a single tap. To make a call, Duo only requires a user's phone number. Available for both Android and iOS users, the app will be live worldwide in the next few days.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:02 pm on 16 Aug

read more at Google Blog

China launches 1st hack-proof communication satellite

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:48 pm on 16 Aug 2016,Tuesday

China on Tuesday launched the world's first quantum satellite, which will help the country to establish hack-proof communications between space and the ground. The satellite will alert the sender and alter or delete the message when hacking is attempted. If the two-year mission is successful, China will attempt to build a worldwide network that can send uncrackable messages.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:48 pm on 16 Aug

read more at Reuters

New bulb transmits data at record 2 Gbps via light

short by Vani Vivek / 03:38 pm on 16 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Researchers from Saudi Arabia claim to have created lightbulbs that can transmit data at a record speed of 2 GB per second, about 40 times faster than existing Li-Fi devices. Usual methods of Visible Light Communication-based Li-Fi technology transmit data using LEDs, which have a limited bandwidth. The researchers have developed a nanocrystal-based converter that enables faster data transmission.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:38 pm on 16 Aug

read more at Google

Audi cars to tell when traffic lights go green

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:59 pm on 16 Aug 2016,Tuesday

New Audi cars in the US will come with a system which will provide drivers with the countdown of when a traffic light turns green from red. The traffic light information system will communicate with the city's municipal traffic signals to gather the required data. The system will be available on select 2017 Audi Q7, A4 and A4 allroad models.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:59 pm on 16 Aug

read more at YouTube

Buffet's Berkshire increases stake in Apple by 55%

short by Rahul Raj / 02:59 pm on 16 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Billionaire Warren Buffet's Omaha-based firm Berkshire Hathway has increased its stake in Apple by 55% to 15.2 million shares during the second quarter, according to a regulatory filing on Monday. This investment was valued at $1.46 billion as of June 30. Apple's shares fell in the second quarter owing to decline in iPhone sales which prompted the purchase of shares.

short by Rahul Raj / 02:59 pm on 16 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Japan audiophiles install power poles for better sound

short by Vani Vivek / 02:47 pm on 16 Aug 2016,Tuesday

According to a Wall Street Journal report, music lovers in Japan are getting private electricity poles installed for 'pure' sound. An 82-year-old Japanese lawyer recently paid $10,000 for a 40-foot-tall pole to avoid electromagnetic interference from neighbours' gadgets. "No matter how expensive the audio equipment is, it will be no good if the blood (electricity) is bad,” he said.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:47 pm on 16 Aug

read more at Engadget

Students make bridge that can be unfolded, rolled out

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:26 pm on 16 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Engineering students from Goa have designed a pedestrian bridge that can be unfolded and rolled out from one end of a path to the other. While the prototype is four-metre long, a full-fledged model can cover up to 12 metres. This is believed to be the second such structure in the world, the first one being in London.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:26 pm on 16 Aug

read more at The Better India

Internet was launched in India at a speed of 9.6 kbps

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:53 pm on 15 Aug 2016,Monday

Commercial Internet services in India were launched 21 years ago, on August 15, 1995, with dial-up access speeds of up to 9.6 kbps. Launched in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai by VSNL, the initial tariff of the service for commercial organisations was nearly ₹100 per hour. India currently has nearly 400 million internet users.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:53 pm on 15 Aug

read more at Google

Apple's first Mac advertisement took jibe at IBM

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:25 pm on 15 Aug 2016,Monday

Apple introduced its first ever Mac computer, known as Macintosh, through a television commercial in 1984. The commercial showcased Apple as a young female rebel who frees individuals from the overbearing control of 'Big Brother', which is believed to be IBM. Apple launched its first iMac computer 18 years ago on August 15, 1998.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:25 pm on 15 Aug

read more at YouTube

Nokia hires Angry Birds maker Rovio's CEO

short by Rahul Raj / 09:10 pm on 15 Aug 2016,Monday

Finnish company HMD Global Oy, which plans to relaunch Nokia brand for phones, on Monday announced hiring Pekka Rantala as its Chief Marketing Officer. Rantala, the former CEO of Angry Birds maker Rovio, worked with Nokia from 1994 to 2011. The new phones will be manufactured by Foxconn, but it has not given a timetable for products yet.

short by Rahul Raj / 09:10 pm on 15 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Apple's 1st iMac was launched on August 15

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:55 pm on 15 Aug 2016,Monday

Technology multinational Apple's first iMac desktop, iMac G3, was launched 18 years ago on August 15, 1998. The primary use of the computer, as Steve Jobs said during the launch, was to "get on the internet simply and fast." Priced at $1,299, iMac G3 had 32 MB Memory, and 4 GB disk space.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:55 pm on 15 Aug

read more at YouTube

Samsung's sensor with IBM chip records at 2,000 fps

short by Rahul Raj / 07:17 pm on 15 Aug 2016,Monday

Samsung has integrated IBM's brain-like chip TrueNorth into its Dynamic Vision Sensor (DVS) to process digital imagery at a faster rate. A DVS-equipped device can capture at 2,000 frames per second (fps), compared to 120 fps for traditional digital cameras. IBM's chip attempts to resemble the human brain functions with 4,096 cores to create 256 million connections.

short by Rahul Raj / 07:17 pm on 15 Aug

read more at Engadget

KickassTorrents clone asks credit card details

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:16 pm on 15 Aug 2016,Monday

The clone of recently shut online directory for torrent files KickassTorrents, KAT.am is reportedly owned by scammers, who ask for a user's credit card details before downloading a file. Unlike the clone, the original KickassTorrents website never asked for financial data. Earlier in July, KickassTorrents was shut down and the website's alleged owner was arrested over copyright infringement.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:16 pm on 15 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Maps was a mistake, says Apple CEO Tim Cook

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:14 pm on 15 Aug 2016,Monday

Apple CEO Tim Cook in an interview to The Washington Post said, "Maps was a mistake." While responding to a question about learning from the past mistakes, Cook added, "Today we have a product we’re proud of. But we had the self-honesty to admit this wasn’t our finest hour and the courage to choose another way of doing it."

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:14 pm on 15 Aug

read more at Google

Goa B-school website hacked by Pakistani hackers

short by Rahul Raj / 06:11 pm on 15 Aug 2016,Monday

The official website of Goa Institute of Management was hacked on Sunday by hackers who identified themselves as 'Pak cyber attackers'. The homepage displayed Pakistan's national flag and read, "Pakistan Zindabad Happy August 14, 2016 - Team Pak Cyber Attackers - Stop Killing of Muslims in Kashmir and in India." However, the hacked website was later restored.

short by Rahul Raj / 06:11 pm on 15 Aug

read more at India Today

The CEO job is lonely, says Apple's Tim Cook

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:28 pm on 15 Aug 2016,Monday

Apple CEO Tim Cook in an interview to The Washington Post said, "The CEO job is lonely." Cook added, "I’m not looking for any sympathy. You have to recognize that you have blind spots. We all do." The 55-year-old CEO will be completing five years at Apple on August 24 this year, after taking over from Steve Jobs in 2011.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:28 pm on 15 Aug

read more at Google

Pokémon Go to put lifetime ban on cheaters

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:24 pm on 15 Aug 2016,Monday

Pokémon Go developer Niantic has said that it will put a lifetime ban on players who use bots and cheating apps to play the game. Players falsifying their location, using emulators, modified or unofficial softwares to cheat in the game will also be banned. "Our goal is to provide a fair, fun and legitimate game experience for everyone," said Niantic.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:24 pm on 15 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Steve Jobs is not replaceable by anyone: Tim Cook

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:33 pm on 15 Aug 2016,Monday

Technology giant Apple's CEO Tim Cook said, "To me, Steve Jobs is not replaceable. By anyone," in an interview to The Washington Post. Cook added, "He was an original of a species. I never viewed that was my role." Cook further added that the day Jobs died was sort of the worst day ever of his life.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:33 pm on 15 Aug

read more at Google

Speaker makes fire dance to the beats of song

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:30 pm on 15 Aug 2016,Monday

US-based man Tyrone Hazen has created a speaker named 'Fireside Audiobox' which plays music and also makes fire dance to the beat of the song being played. The handcrafted speaker connects with any Bluetooth-enabled device and provides eight hours of music playback on a single charge. Hazen mapped the sound waves within an aluminium tube to make the fire dance.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:30 pm on 15 Aug

read more at YouTube

Australian gallery uses robot as art guide

short by Yash Kumar / 06:04 am on 15 Aug 2016,Monday

The Art Gallery of Western Australia in Perth is using a robot named Aggie to serve as an art guide. The 60cm tall robot is aimed at bringing more "family audiences" to the museum, which has recently seen falling visitor numbers. The robot, programmed by the company Smartbots, plays music during the tour and gives sound effects with different paintings.

short by Yash Kumar / 06:04 am on 15 Aug

read more at YouTube

Students use lasers to save crops from geese

short by Parichit Mainra / 10:54 pm on 14 Aug 2016,Sunday

Students from Canada's University of Victoria have developed a prototype device which uses green lasers to stop geese from destroying crops. The "automatic hi-tech scarecrow" is programmed to sweep low-powered lasers across a farmers’ field at night, when geese come there to roost and eat green shoots of common crops like wheat and barley.

short by Parichit Mainra / 10:54 pm on 14 Aug

read more at Google

YouTube should not host videos violating law: HC

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 09:11 pm on 14 Aug 2016,Sunday

Delhi High Court has said that YouTube was legally bound not to host any objectionable content which violates the current laws. The ruling came on a plea by Tata Sky seeking removal of videos explaining how to crack the encryption of set top boxes from YouTube. The Court added that YouTube must act immediately on such complaints in the future.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 09:11 pm on 14 Aug

read more at PTI

Tool to recover smartphone data developed

short by Vani Vivek / 08:08 pm on 14 Aug 2016,Sunday

Purdue University researchers have developed a new tool to help law enforcement officials recover information stored in smartphones while investigating crimes. The technique, called 'RetroScope', directs the phone's graphical rendering code towards its RAM to recover screens previously shown by any app. Once recovered, the screens are then displayed in the order they were originally viewed.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:08 pm on 14 Aug

read more at The New Indian Express

Smart rings made to send heartbeat in real-time

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:04 pm on 14 Aug 2016,Sunday

A startup has developed a pair of smart rings called 'HB Rings' that allows couples to send and receive each other's heartbeat in real-time. Connected through an app, the steel rings send the user's heartbeat to the paired ring on a single tap. Each ring lasts for about 14 hours on a single charge and has a scratchproof sapphire surface.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:04 pm on 14 Aug

read more at YouTube

Lenovo launches its first curved display monitor

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:30 pm on 14 Aug 2016,Sunday

Chinese technology company Lenovo has launched its first ever curved display monitor at a price of $400. Aimed at gamers, the monitor comes with a 27-inch display screen capable of flashing 144 images in a second. The monitor also features 'FreeSync' technology that eliminates screen tears and minimises display stutter.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:30 pm on 14 Aug

read more at Google

Million gamers in UK spent money on Pokémon Go

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:06 pm on 14 Aug 2016,Sunday

A poll conducted in the UK has revealed that over a million Pokémon Go players in the country have spent their real money on in-app purchases. These purchases allow players to make themselves more powerful in the game and change the appearance of their characters. While most of the gamers spent between 1-15 pounds, some even spent over 75 pounds.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:06 pm on 14 Aug

read more at Google

Xiaomi launches electric screwdriver in China

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:00 pm on 14 Aug 2016,Sunday

Chinese electronics company Xiaomi has launched an electric screwdriver called 'Wowstick 1fs' in China priced at $30. The pen-like screwdriver has an aluminium finish and comes with six interchangeable bits which claim to be compatible with commonly used screws and bolts. It also includes an LED ‘shadowless' light for illumination purpose in the dark.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:00 pm on 14 Aug

read more at Google

Band makes entire music video using Prisma

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:34 pm on 14 Aug 2016,Sunday

Indie band Drive like Maria recently released its new music video 'Deep Blue' which has been made entirely using the Prisma photo editing app. As Prisma does not support video editing yet, the band edited the video frame by frame, which resulted in 1,828 images. Three people including the band's lead singer took five hours each to edit the images.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:34 pm on 14 Aug

read more at YouTube

Tiny computer to build hardware projects costs $5

short by Rahul Raj / 03:22 pm on 14 Aug 2016,Sunday

US-based IoT startup Onion has built a $5 tiny computer that is suited to develop complex hardware projects with ease. The Onion Omega2, which begins to ship in November, is Arduino-compatible but also runs Linux natively. It comes with built-in Wi-Fi and supports cellular, Bluetooth and GPS connections. The base model has 32 MB RAM and 16 MB storage.

short by Rahul Raj / 03:22 pm on 14 Aug

read more at Campaign

Google working on new operating system: Report

short by Rahul Raj / 08:40 pm on 13 Aug 2016,Saturday

Google is building a new operating system called 'Fuschia', as reported by Android Police. Although there has not been an official announcement, the company has released the OS' details on GitHub with the description "Pink + Purple == Fuschia (a new Operating System)." The OS is designed to compete with IoT-oriented systems, and may be scaled to smartphones and computers.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:40 pm on 13 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Titan launches smartwatch in India at ₹22,995

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:45 pm on 13 Aug 2016,Saturday

Titan has launched its first fully touch-enabled smartwatch 'Juxt Pro' in India at a price of ₹22,995. The full-metal body smartwatch can play music, take photos and comes with a 1.3-inch circular display, 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of in-built storage. It will be exclusively available at select Titan stores and Flipkart.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:45 pm on 13 Aug

read more at YouTube

N Korean Olympic athletes not given free Galaxy S7s

short by Rahul Raj / 06:27 pm on 13 Aug 2016,Saturday

North Korea's 31 Olympic athletes have not been given Samsung Galaxy S7 Olympics edition phones distributed to every athlete at the opening parade. A North Korean team manager reportedly collected the handsets but never gave them to the team, and later declined to give a reason for the move. Samsung is a South Korean multinational, a country North Korea is at war with.

short by Rahul Raj / 06:27 pm on 13 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Pokémon Go maker becomes most popular game publisher

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:15 pm on 13 Aug 2016,Saturday

Mobile game Pokémon Go developer Niantic has become the world's most popular game publisher surpassing Candy Crush maker King, according to app analytics firm SimilarWeb. Pokémon Go gaming app is most popular in North America, Europe and Australia. The third most popular game publisher is 'My Talking Tom' mobile game maker Outfit7.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:15 pm on 13 Aug

read more at Mashable

Computer program replicates users' handwriting

short by Vani Vivek / 03:00 pm on 13 Aug 2016,Saturday

Scientists from University College London have created ‘My Text in Your Handwriting’, a program that replicates an individual's handwriting by imitating factors like their specific character choices. The algorithm is able to reproduce any text in the same style as the sample of handwritten text. So far, the team has successfully replicated the handwriting of Abraham Lincoln and Frida Kahlo.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:00 pm on 13 Aug

read more at YouTube

MIT creates tattoo that can control devices

short by Vani Vivek / 02:57 pm on 13 Aug 2016,Saturday

Researchers from MIT have created smart temporary tattoos called 'DuoSkin' that can interact with smartphones and even store data. DuoSkin tattoos can change colour according to skin temperature, transmit data through NFC, or be used as 2D trackpads. The tattoos, which are applied to the skin through water-transfer, use gold leaf as the conductor and can also contain LED lights.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:57 pm on 13 Aug

read more at YouTube

Video shows OnePlus 3's Dash Charge vs Galaxy S7

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:53 pm on 13 Aug 2016,Saturday

OnePlus has released a video in which it compares its OnePlus 3 smartphone's 'Dash Charge' technology with Samsung Galaxy S7's 'Adaptive Charging' technology. Both the smartphones are charged for 30 minutes and compared on the basis of their charging percent. The video ends with the tagline "Change the way you charge."

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:53 pm on 13 Aug

read more at YouTube

Arrow launches smart shirt at ₹2,999

short by Prashanti Moktan / 11:28 pm on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

American menswear brand Arrow has launched a smart shirt, which can connect to the wearer's smartphone. Using an in-built chip on the cuff, the smart shirt allows the user to access apps on their smartphone and share their business card or LinkedIn profile with a client, among other functions. Priced at ₹2,999, the shirt is available on Amazon.

short by Prashanti Moktan / 11:28 pm on 12 Aug

read more at YouTube

OnePlus 3 smartphone survives 750 ft drop test

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:25 pm on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus has released a video which shows its OnePlus 3 handset surviving a drop test from 750 feet above the ground. The smartphone landed on a grassy surface, with no signs of visible injury. Further, its camera and touchscreen were found to be working fine.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:25 pm on 12 Aug

read more at YouTube

First IBM personal computer turns 35 today

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:05 pm on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

Technology giant IBM introduced its first personal computer 'IBM 5150' 35 years ago on August 12, 1981 in New York City. The PC came at a price tag of $1,565, and was developed under the project name 'Chess'. "On this day in 1981 "The IBM PC" made our lives a lot more awesome," tweeted IBM on the occasion.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:05 pm on 12 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Italy starts constructing 3D printed village

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 09:04 pm on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

Construction of the world's first 3D printed village began in Italy last month, with the world's largest 3D printer, the BigDelta, building a hut. The 3D printer used a mixture of straw and clay to build the house in Shamballa village. The village reportedly aims to show that 3D printing can be used to build homes in poor areas.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 09:04 pm on 12 Aug

read more at YouTube

'Mary had a little lamb' were 1st words ever recorded

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:59 pm on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

Thomas Edison, who invented the phonograph on August 12, 1877, recorded the nursery rhyme 'Mary had a little lamb' as the first words on the device. Phonograph was the first device capable of recording and reproducing sound. “It’s my baby. It’s gonna take care of me in my old days,” said Edison about his invention.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:59 pm on 12 Aug

read more at Google

Google isn't safe from Yahoo's fate, writes TechCrunch

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:27 pm on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

Technology industry news publisher TechCrunch on Thursday in a report titled 'Google isn't safe from Yahoo's fate' said that Google is on the wrong side of major trends in the digital advertising industry. "It’s not clear if Google’s advertising business will sustain its dominance," it said, adding that its competitor, Facebook, is on the right side of all these trends.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:27 pm on 12 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Samsung used kids like disposable cups: Ex-worker

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:01 pm on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

An Associated Press investigation has revealed that Samsung's South Korea factories withheld workers from knowing about the chemicals they're exposed to. An ex-Samsung worker said, "Samsung brought uninformed kids from the countryside...using them as if they were disposable cups.” An ex-employee's father said that he was offered $864,000 to deny his daughter's illness was an occupational disease.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:01 pm on 12 Aug

read more at The Financial Express

Performance review software maker ditches review

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:59 pm on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

German multinational SAP, which makes software used to grade the performance of employees, is ditching its own annual performance reviews as "too expensive, time-consuming and often demotivating." SAP said that it found the review process often counter-productive. Europe's biggest software maker is reportedly testing a new process, which includes more regular check-in talks with its employees.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:59 pm on 12 Aug

read more at Business Today

OnePlus 3 available with exchange offer in India

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:23 pm on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus on Friday announced that users can return their old devices and get discounts of up to 100% on the price of OnePlus 3 in India, if all conditions are met. The amount of cashback depends on the condition of the device being exchanged, and the evaluation made by the company's partner Cashify.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:23 pm on 12 Aug

read more at India Today

Thomas Edison invented 1st recording device on Aug 12

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:35 pm on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

American inventor Thomas Alva Edison completed the model of the first phonograph, a device for mechanical recording and reproduction of sound, on August 12, 1877. "I was never so taken aback in my life... I was always afraid of things that worked the first time," Edison had recalled during an event 50 years after the invention.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:35 pm on 12 Aug

read more at Tweet Collection

Alibaba revenue up by 59%, highest since 2014

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:14 pm on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

China-based Alibaba Group on Thursday reported a 59% year-on-year rise in revenue at $4.84 billion, its highest growth rate since 2014, in the June quarter. However, the e-commerce firm's net income fell 77% to $1.07 billion against the previous year period. Streaming entertainment and cloud computing to generate new growth bolstered Alibaba's e-commerce business, analysts said.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:14 pm on 12 Aug

read more at Reuters

MIT scientists develop self-tinting windows

short by Abhishek Bansal / 03:01 pm on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

A team of scientists at MIT have developed a new glass technology which is capable of changing shades faster and covering a broader spectrum of opacity than the present photochromic substances. The new material could be used to reduce glare, produce e-ink-style displays, and cut down on energy costs by going opaque for cooling purposes.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 03:01 pm on 12 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Sensationalist nonsense: Ex-Twitter CEO to BuzzFeed

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:55 pm on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

Reacting to a BuzzFeed report about Twitter's inability to tackle abusive users, the company's former CEO Dick Costolo tweeted, "Shows a lack of understanding of the very basics of how trust and safety works at Twitter. Sensationalist nonsense." Twitter also responded to the report through a post which said, "We feel there are inaccuracies in the details and unfair portrayals."

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:55 pm on 12 Aug

read more at Recode

Ad-blockers claim to beat FB's attempt to show ads

short by Abhishek Bansal / 02:48 pm on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

Internet ad-blockers have made a claim to have figured out a way to stop Facebook from showing display ads, after the social networking site employed a new way of displaying ads by slipping past the ad-blockers. Ad-blockers' open-source community reportedly reverse engineered a filter to find the new encoded ads and block them.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 02:48 pm on 12 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Firm offers gold plated, diamond-studded 'iPhone 7'

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:19 pm on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

Luxury gift and customisation company Goldgenie has announced that it will offer the upcoming 'iPhone 7' in a 24-karat gold plated and diamonds studded version. The iPhone can be pre-ordered from August 25 on the company's website for $3,100, which is half of the total cost of the phone. Apple is set to release its next iPhone on September 7.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:19 pm on 12 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Keyless entry of 100 mn Volkswagen cars hackable

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:58 pm on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

Around 100 million Volkswagen cars sold over the past 20 years and some current models are vulnerable to theft due to hackable keyless entry systems, according to European researchers. They claim that the systems can be hacked through cheap technical devices. The vulnerable cars include most Audi, Seat and Skoda models and the 2016 Audi Q3.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:58 pm on 12 Aug

read more at Reuters

Firm makes needle-free anaemia-screening tool

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 01:34 pm on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

Mumbai-based Biosense has developed ToucHB, a tool that can measure haemoglobin levels in a patient without extracting blood with a needle. Patients can place ToucHB on their right eyes and the device analyses the paleness of their skins and mucous membranes to give instant readings. The anaemia-screening, battery-operated tool is currently being used in 2,000 villages across three states.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 01:34 pm on 12 Aug

read more at The Better India

LeEco to build $1.8 billion electric cars factory

short by Satyaki Das / 12:55 am on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

Chinese technology conglomerate LeEco on Thursday announced plans to invest $1.8 billion towards building an electric car manufacturing centre. It will be part of a $3 billion 'Eco Experience Park' project, which will include a theme park and offices. The plant will be located in China's Zhejiang province and is expected to manufacture 400,000 electric vehicles annually with self-driving features.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:55 am on 12 Aug

read more at Engadget

Users panic over Twitter shutdown hoax

short by Satyaki Das / 12:08 am on 12 Aug 2016,Friday

Twitter users panicked after an internet hoax was started by a YouTuber who claimed to have single-handedly convinced Twitter to shut down in 2017 because of abuse and cyberbullying. Users reacted with tweets like, "I use Twitter more than...the toilet. Don't shut it down. Please", and "Twitter is everything. I'll die without it", following which #SaveTwitter was a global trend.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:08 am on 12 Aug

read more at Tweet Collection

US man creates portable version of Xbox One S

short by Satyaki Das / 10:45 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

US-based Edward Zarick has created 'Xbook One S', a portable version of Microsoft's XBox One S gaming console. He used a 19-inch Samsung screen offering 720-pixel display, and a custom case built from laser-cut acrylic and 3D printed parts. The portable device has been priced at $1,495 for the 500 GB model and $1,545 for the 1TB model.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:45 pm on 11 Aug

read more at Engadget

Over 50% of richest tech billionaires are from US

short by Sumedha Sehra / 09:14 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

A total of 51 people on 'Forbes 100 Richest Tech Billionaires List' are from the US, with 37 of them living in the state of California alone. The 51 billionaires include the likes of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Larry Page and Elon Musk. China stands second, with 19 billionaires on the list.

short by Sumedha Sehra / 09:14 pm on 11 Aug

read more at Forbes

Hybrid e-sports car with solar roof revealed

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:12 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

American luxury hybrid carmaker, Karma Automotive has revealed the design of its upcoming hybrid electric sports car, Karma Revero, that features a solar roof which the company claims can "power the vehicle". The company will also provide hand-painted badges on every unit of the vehicle, which will be publicly revealed on September 8, with a starting price of $100,000.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:12 pm on 11 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

43.4% of new hires are women, minorities: Intel

short by Rahul Raj / 09:11 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

Intel has announced in its 'Diversity and Inclusion Report' that 43.4% of the company's new hires in the first half of 2016 were either women or under-represented minorities. Intel hired 13.1% under-represented minorities and 34.1% women in the first half. The report also shows analysis of pay data across races and ethnicities, and claims 99% pay equity for under-represented minorities.

short by Rahul Raj / 09:11 pm on 11 Aug

read more at VentureBeat

Apple rehires Flipboard Co-founder Evan Doll

short by Vani Vivek / 09:07 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

Apple has rehired Flipboard Co-founder Evan Doll to work on health-related software after he quit Apple to found the digital news magazine app Flipboard. Doll had worked as a software engineer at Apple from about 2003 to 2009 and had helped develop the first iPhone operating system. Doll left Flipboard in October 2015 along with other executives of the startup.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:07 pm on 11 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

I'm leaving because everything is great: Maris

short by Rahul Raj / 08:56 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

Google Ventures' Founder Bill Maris has quit the venture capital firm, and will be replaced by one of his deputies, David Krane. When asked for the reason, he said, "If it (GV) weren’t in great shape, that would be the wrong time to leave. I’m leaving because everything is great." Interestingly, Maris didn't hold a board seat at the firm.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:56 pm on 11 Aug

read more at Recode

FB messenger bot allows people to talk to Obama

short by Yash Kumar / 08:47 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

Facebook has launched a White House Messenger bot in the US to allow people to talk to President Barack Obama. The messenger bot, activated on White House's Facebook page, is an addition to existing ways of communicating with the White House which include handwritten mails, emails, and phone calls. Obama will read 10 such messages every day, officials said.

short by Yash Kumar / 08:47 pm on 11 Aug

read more at YouTube

Only 5 women in Forbes 100 richest in tech

short by Vani Vivek / 08:35 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

Forbes' '100 Richest Tech Billionaires in the World 2016' list announced on Wednesday featured only five women with Zhou Qunfei, Founder of touchscreen manufacturer Lens Technology, topping the list. Qunfei ranked 33rd with a $6.4 billion fortune. HP CEO Meg Whitman and Denise Coates, Joint-CEO of online gambling firm Bet365, are some of the other women on the list.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:35 pm on 11 Aug

read more at Forbes

Jack Ma richest Asian in Forbes tech billionaires list

short by Vani Vivek / 08:22 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

Jack Ma, Founder of Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba, is the richest Asian in the '100 Richest Tech Billionaires in the World in 2016' list released by Forbes on Wednesday. With an estimated fortune of $25.8 billion, Ma is ranked as the eighth richest tech billionaire worldwide. China has the second highest number of listed tech billionaires, behind only the US.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:22 pm on 11 Aug

read more at Forbes

Apple Co-founder met wife on his Dial-A-Joke service

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:13 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

Technology giant Apple's Co-founder Steve Wozniak, who turns 66 on Thursday, met his wife on Dial-A-Joke, a telephone service that users could call to listen to jokes. The electronics engineer met his first wife during a 'live call' he personally answered. Wozniak had started the service as a hobby in 1973.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 08:13 pm on 11 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Bezos, Zuckerberg top gainers among tech billionaires

short by Rahul Raj / 07:36 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg were the top gainers in Forbes' list of '100 Richest Tech Billionaires in the World in 2016'. After stocks of their companies hit record high, Bezos added $18.4 billion to his net worth, while Zuckerberg added $12.8 billion. Notably, the top 10 gainers added a combined $64.9 billion to their fortunes.

short by Rahul Raj / 07:36 pm on 11 Aug

read more at Forbes

Apple Co-founder sold his calculator to start Apple

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:27 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

Electronics engineer Steve Wozniak, one of the Co-founders of technology giant Apple, sold his HP scientific calculator to raise money for starting the company in 1976. Steve Jobs, the other Co-founder, sold his Volkswagen van, "so they had a few hundred bucks each" to assemble the first Apple computer in Jobs' garage. Wozniak celebrates his 66th birthday on Thursday.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:27 pm on 11 Aug

read more at Google

When can we expect Blackface, tweets a user

short by Vani Vivek / 06:10 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

Responding to a Snapchat filter featuring squinted eyes which allegedly promoted stereotypes against Asians, a Twitter user posted, "Dear @Snapchat, thanks for the overly-racist new filter...when can we expect Blackface?". Another user tweeted,"Racist filters are not cute", "I'd like to apply as your "Is This Racist?" manager", tweeted another. The filter has since been taken down by Snapchat.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:10 pm on 11 Aug

read more at Tweet Collection

Indian develops device to make water from air

short by Sanira Mediratta / 05:24 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

A 22-year-old student, Jawwad Patel has reportedly developed Asia's first 3D printed water apparatus that produces water from air. Called 'Dewdrop', the portable device uses moisture from the air to produce drinkable water and generates around 1.8 litres of water in an hour. Patel further claims that the device does not use any toxic gas or chemicals.

short by Sanira Mediratta / 05:24 pm on 11 Aug

read more at YouTube

Azim Premji, Shiv Nadar in Forbes' 100 richest in tech

short by Vani Vivek / 04:26 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

Forbes on Wednesday announced the '100 Richest Tech Billionaires in the World in 2016', with two Indians making it to the list. Wipro Chairman Azim Premji is ranked 13th on the list with a net worth of $16.1 billion, while HCL Chairman Shiv Nadar is featured at number 17 with a net worth of $11.7 billion.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:26 pm on 11 Aug

read more at Forbes

iPhone survives 2,500 ft fall from plane: Report

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 03:48 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

A woman has said her iPhone 5s survived a 2,500 feet fall from an airplane as she was taking photographs while flying over Vancouver, Canada. Jeannine Buck said she went to find it using the 'Find My Phone' app once her plane had landed. She said there has been no damage to her phone, though it fell through numerous trees.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 03:48 pm on 11 Aug

read more at Google

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 launched at ₹59,900

short by Vani Vivek / 02:54 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

Electronics major Samsung on Thursday launched its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in India priced at ₹59,900. The handset runs on Android Marshmallow and features a 5.7-inch screen, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB internal memory, 12 MP rear and 5 MP front camera. Pre-booking will start from August 22, and the device will go on sale from September 2.

short by Vani Vivek / 02:54 pm on 11 Aug

Bill Gates tops Forbes' 100 richest in Tech list

short by Mansha Mahajan / 02:27 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

With an estimated $78 billion fortune, Microsoft founder Bill Gates has topped Forbes' ‘100 Richest Tech Billionaires In The World 2016’ list and maintained his position as the world's richest person. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg ranked second and third with an estimated worth of $66.2 billion and $54 billion respectively.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 02:27 pm on 11 Aug

read more at Forbes

Snapchat removes 'racist' Asian filter

short by Vani Vivek / 01:59 pm on 11 Aug 2016,Thursday

Snapchat has taken down a filter it had introduced on Tuesday after allegations that the filter promotes racial stereotypes against Asians. The filter featured a caricature-like face with squinty eyes, which a Twitter user called "the most overly racist filter ever”. Meanwhile, Snapchat has said the filter was Anime-inspired and was "meant to be playful".

short by Vani Vivek / 01:59 pm on 11 Aug

read more at The Guardian

Adidas will open a robot-staffed factory in US

short by Vani Vivek / 09:58 pm on 10 Aug 2016,Wednesday

German sportswear manufacturer Adidas on Wednesday announced that it will open a robot-staffed 'Speedfactory' in the United States by the second half of 2017. The 74,000-square-foot factory will employ 160 people to oversee the production of 50,000 pairs of shoes per year. The factory will lead to "endless opportunities for customisation", said Adidas in a statement.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:58 pm on 10 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Man blames Tesla crash on poor translation

short by Vani Vivek / 09:52 pm on 10 Aug 2016,Wednesday

The first Tesla crash in China is being blamed on the company marketing its semi-autonomous autopilot feature as 'zidong jiashi' in Chinese, which translates to 'self driving'. However, Tesla's autopilot requires drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel. "If from the beginning Tesla had marketed itself as a “semi-autonomous” car...I never would have bought it”, the driver said.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:52 pm on 10 Aug

read more at Reuters

Firm offers $500,000 to find bugs in iOS

short by Rahul Raj / 08:48 pm on 10 Aug 2016,Wednesday

After Apple launched its first-ever bounty program with rewards up to $200,000 last week, a US-based firm Exodus Intelligence has launched a similar program. The firm will pay a reward of up to $500,000 to find vulnerabilities in iOS 9.3 and above. It will also pay for attacks targeting Google Chrome ($150,000), Microsoft Edge ($125,000) and Mozilla Firefox ($80,000).

short by Rahul Raj / 08:48 pm on 10 Aug

read more at The Verge

Palm-sized drone that draws with dots developed

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:45 pm on 10 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Researchers at the Canada-based McGill University have created a palm-sized drone that can make drawings with dots while its flying. The drone is programmed with algorithms that allows it to apply each payload of ink accurately and efficiently. It is enabled with internal sensors and a motion capture system to help it put the ink at the right places.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:45 pm on 10 Aug

read more at YouTube

Six-member 'Team Sanskriti' behind the PMO app

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:09 pm on 10 Aug 2016,Wednesday

The Prime Minister's Office app, which was recently launched by PM Narendra Modi, has been developed by 'Team Sanskriti', a team of six students led by 19-year-old Raghav Sarin. It was a joint initiative of the government and Google to crowdsource the app's design and technology. It allows making appointments with PMO officials and informs citizens about the government schemes.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:09 pm on 10 Aug

Hackers can remotely activate smart vibrator

short by Vani Vivek / 07:46 pm on 10 Aug 2016,Wednesday

A hacking duo has explained that the We-Vibe 4 Plus smart vibrators can be remotely activated by anyone. They also revealed that every time the intensity of the vibrator changes or every minute it's in use, the connected app conveys the temperature of the device to the manufacturer. This helps the company gather information about the usage of the device.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:46 pm on 10 Aug

read more at The Guardian

Next iPhone may have an all-glass body: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:01 pm on 10 Aug 2016,Wednesday

An Apple iPhone variant scheduled to launch in 2017 may reportedly have an all-glass body with a curved edge display. One of the patents approved for Apple includes a curved display with active sidewalls and virtual buttons. "Edge displays may be used to display scrollable lists such as artist or song lists,” the patent states.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:01 pm on 10 Aug

'Torrentz' clone website surfaces online

short by Vani Vivek / 06:54 pm on 10 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Less than a week after the torrent search website 'Torrentz' shut down after 13 years of service, a clone website has surfaced online. The clone, 'Torrentz2.eu' temporarily displayed "We will always love you Torrentz. Goodbye." on its homepage. In July, torrent files provider KickassTorrents was shut down and its alleged founder was arrested by the US.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:54 pm on 10 Aug

iPhone screen guard heals itself within a second

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:39 pm on 10 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Taiwanese company Innerexile has made a $24 screen guard for Apple iPhone that is able to heal its scratches within a second. The 0.2 mm-thick screen guard uses microcapsules filled with a glue-like liquid that automatically fills the gaps created by a scratch. The company also makes similar cases for MacBooks.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:39 pm on 10 Aug

read more at YouTube

Samsung denies security flaws in Samsung Pay

short by Rahul Raj / 05:24 pm on 10 Aug 2016,Wednesday

After a researcher highlighted security flaws in Samsung's mobile payment system Samsung Pay which could be exploited by hackers, Samsung on Sunday released a blogpost refuting such claims. It claimed that the math behind its service is different from what is mentioned in the research and is thus safe. Samsung also released a technology FAQ on how the system works.

short by Rahul Raj / 05:24 pm on 10 Aug

read more at Engadget

US man mistaken for Australian govt body on Twitter

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:15 pm on 10 Aug 2016,Wednesday

An American named Adrei Soroker's Twitter handle @abs was on Tuesday mistaken for Australian Bureau of Statistics' Twitter handle. The government body was holding Australia's largest survey online but became inaccessible after a reported cyber attack. Outraged citizens started tweeting their complaints to the @abs handle, making Soroker change his bio to 'Not Australian Bureau of Statistics'.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:15 pm on 10 Aug

read more at Mashable

FB shuts group after domestic violence claims

short by Rahul Raj / 04:44 pm on 10 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Facebook has shut down a 200,000-member Australian group, 'Bloke's Advice' after allegations that its posts incited domestic violence against women and encouraged assault. An organisation called 'The Red Heart Campaign' started a petition for its removal on Change.org, which brought national attention to the group. A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the group's removal because of its posts.

short by Rahul Raj / 04:44 pm on 10 Aug

read more at Mashable

Seagate unveils world's highest capacity SSD drive

short by Rahul Raj / 04:35 pm on 10 Aug 2016,Wednesday

American data storage company Seagate has unveiled a 60 TB solid-state-drive (SSD) hard disk, which is the world's largest drive with such capacity yet. Officially launching in 2017, the drive will be available for businesses only. The company claims that the hard drive can hold up to 12,000 DVD movies or 400 million photos.

short by Rahul Raj / 04:35 pm on 10 Aug

read more at Engadget

Google explains absence of Palestine from Maps

short by Vani Vivek / 03:26 pm on 10 Aug 2016,Wednesday

After facing flak for allegedly removing Palestine from Maps, Google has explained that it had never labeled Palestine at all. Google Maps define regions along a dashed border around West Bank and Gaza as 'Palestinian territories' when clicked. However, Google discovered a bug that removed the 'West Bank' and 'Gaza Strip' labels and said it is working to restore them.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:26 pm on 10 Aug

read more at Engadget

Facebook to prevent adblockers from blocking ads

short by Rahul Raj / 12:10 am on 10 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Facebook has made changes to its web ads to prevent adblockers from blocking ads by making them similar to its other content. It has offered users an opt-out option for targeted ads, which can be accessed under updated 'Ad Preferences'. However, opting out of ad targeting will not remove the ads completely but make them less relevant for the users.

short by Rahul Raj / 12:10 am on 10 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Google testing personalised version of Google Now

short by Rahul Raj / 11:25 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Google has started testing the personalised version of its virtual assistant Google Now, integrated with Android devices and Search. A new feature called 'Explore Interests' will let users train Google Now to deliver precise information according to users' interests, like sports, movies, people, stocks and more. It will use search history, location and other details to make exact recommendations.

short by Rahul Raj / 11:25 pm on 09 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Google to let users order food from search page

short by Vani Vivek / 11:22 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Google India on Monday introduced a new feature which will allow users to order food and reserve tables online directly from the Google Search results page. The 'Place an order' option will show up when users search for a nearby restaurant on their phone and let them choose a delivery service like Zomato or Swiggy to complete the order.

short by Vani Vivek / 11:22 pm on 09 Aug

read more at Google Blog

Monster was once valued at $8.4 billion

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:56 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Job portal Monster Worldwide, which was acquired for $429 million by Randstad Holding on Tuesday, was once valued at $8.4 billion. Its stock peaked at over $86 per share in March 2000, valuing the company at almost $8.4 billion. However, the company was valued at $328 milllion when the markets closed on Tuesday.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:56 pm on 09 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Disabled Russian builds autopilot for wheelchair

short by Satyaki Das / 10:55 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Russian computer scientist Valery Spiridonov has built an autopilot system for wheelchairs. The device, which can be attached to any electric wheelchair, uses cameras and sensors to map surroundings, enabling users to control their chairs via voice command on a smartphone app. Victim of a degenerative muscular disease, Spiridonov has volunteered to have the world's first head transplant surgery.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:55 pm on 09 Aug

read more at YouTube

Twitter subleases a quarter of US headquarters

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:29 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Micro-blogging site Twitter is subleasing a quarter of the space at its San Francisco headquarters in the US. A Twitter spokeswoman said, “We’re always looking at ways to use our office spaces more efficiently and effectively.” The company has lost about a third of its market value in the past year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:29 pm on 09 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Thailand sets no-go zones for Pokémon Go players

short by Rahul Raj / 10:09 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Thai telecommunications regulator NBTC on Tuesday said that it will set no-go zones for Pokémon Go players to keep them off limits from prominent tourist destinations. Places like Royal Palace grounds, Buddhist temples, hospitals and government buildings will come under the purview of the new regulation. The game's master licensee will ask developers to withdraw such locations from the app.

short by Rahul Raj / 10:09 pm on 09 Aug

read more at Reuters

Qualcomm signs patent licensing deals in China

short by Rahul Raj / 10:06 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

US-based electronic chip manufacturer Qualcomm has agreed to patent licensing deals with two Chinese mobile phone makers Oppo and Vivo. Qualcomm also has Hisense, Yulong and Lenovo as its licensees in China, and claims a total of over 200 deals with Chinese companies. Notably, more than half of Qualcomm's $6 billion quarterly revenue came from China.

short by Rahul Raj / 10:06 pm on 09 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Email scammers infect self with own malware

short by Vani Vivek / 09:59 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Security researchers at Dell subsidiary SecureWorks recently exposed a group of 30 Nigerian email scammers after a few of their members accidentally infected themselves with their own malware. The cyber attack, called 'wire-wire', was uncovered when the researchers found a keystroke-recording software sending unsecured data to an open server, giving insight into who was behind the attacks.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:59 pm on 09 Aug

read more at Engadget

Australian cyber unit to track terror financing

short by Vani Vivek / 09:59 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

The Australian government on Tuesday set up a new team to investigate the use of online platforms for cyber crime like money laundering and terrorism financing. The unit will also identify patterns that may indicate large-scale financial scams. "Modern technologies are presenting new and evolving threats, none more so than from malicious cyber activity", said the Australian Minister for Justice.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:59 pm on 09 Aug

read more at Reuters

Algorithm can identify faces from blurred photos

short by Vani Vivek / 09:57 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

German researchers have created a 'Faceless Recognition System' that identifies people through photos even when their faces are blurred. The algorithm can predict the identity of unclear faces by looking for previously-observed patterns around their head and body. It can identify 69.6% of blurred faces accurately by using an average of 1.25 tagged images of a person's fully visible face.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:57 pm on 09 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Google mocks iPhone storage in new ad

short by Vani Vivek / 09:53 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Google recently released an advertisement for its Photos app, mocking iPhone's storage capabilities. The ad depicts a "Storage Full" alert resembling iPhone's interface coming up when trying to take photos. The company promotes its 'Free Up Space' feature at the end of the ad with the tagline, "Take as many photos as you want, without running out of space".

short by Vani Vivek / 09:53 pm on 09 Aug

read more at YouTube

Startup lets users grow weed at home via app

short by Satyaki Das / 09:49 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Canadian startup Grobo has launched a device that lets users grow cannabis at home via a connected app. Users can fill the device's reservoir with water and nutrients, insert seeds into its base and start the growing process via the app. The $899 device monitors the condition of the plant, adjusts its watering schedule, and informs when ready to harvest.

short by Satyaki Das / 09:49 pm on 09 Aug

read more at The Verge

Startup raises $5mn to develop in-space communications

short by Rahul Raj / 09:49 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Canada-based startup Kepler Communications has raised $5 million in seed funding to "establish an in-space telecommunications network for space-borne assets." With a network of small, replaceable satellites, the startup is building a real-time system for machinery and device communication. Co-founder Mina Mitry said, "We’re setting up to have our first two satellite launch at the end of 2017."

short by Rahul Raj / 09:49 pm on 09 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Apple iPad more popular with businesses than consumers

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:09 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Nearly half of all Apple's iPads are bought by corporations or governments, making it more popular with businesses than consumers, according to research firm Forrester. The technology giant's business sales were 40% more in the last fiscal year compared to its previous year. Apple in collaboration with IBM has developed over 100 business-oriented apps.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:09 pm on 09 Aug

read more at The Verge

Xiaomi's Hugo Barra challenges InMobi CEO for planking

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:07 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Xiaomi's Vice President Hugo Barra on Monday shared a video of himself doing the plank exercise position for 1 minute and 50 seconds, where he challenged InMobi's CEO Naveen Tewari to beat his time. Accepting the challenge, Tewari shared a video where he planked for over 3 minutes. Barra has also challenged Hungama Founder Neeraj Roy for the same.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:07 pm on 09 Aug

read more at Video

Facebook testing new Wi-Fi service in India

short by Vani Vivek / 05:42 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Facebook has started testing its internet service Express Wi-Fi in India for commercial rollout. Express Wi-Fi will let users purchase data from local internet service providers for "affordable and reliable" access to the web. A pilot version of the project is already providing internet hotspots in 125 rural locations in India, letting users buy data packs starting from ₹10.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:42 pm on 09 Aug

Wilson to launch smart football for $200 in September

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:15 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

American sports equipment manufacturer Wilson on Monday announced to launch its 'X Connected Football' on September 8 this year, priced at $200. A dedicated app for the football lets players get a breakdown of their throw, including the distance, speed, spin rate and spiral efficiency. The NFL-approved ball comes with five game modes that helps the players improve their skills.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:15 pm on 09 Aug

read more at Engadget

New battery takes 30 mins to dissolve in water

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:33 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Scientists from US-based Iowa State University have created a self-destructing lithium-ion battery that can dissolve in water within 30 minutes. The 1 mm-thick and 5 mm-long battery is capable of powering a calculator for 15 minutes. Unlike normal batteries, the battery is encased in degradable polymer composite material, that swells and dissolves in water.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:33 pm on 09 Aug

read more at Engadget

Job portal Monster sold for $429 million

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:19 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Amsterdam-based human resource consulting firm Randstad Holdings on Tuesday announced that it would acquire job portal Monster Worldwide for $429 million in cash. Post acquisition, Monster will keep its brand name and will operate as a separate entity. Randstad Holdings expects to complete the deal in the fourth quarter of this financial year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:19 pm on 09 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Oracle confirms data breach in payment systems

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:14 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Computer technology major Oracle has confirmed that hackers have breached a support portal for credit card payment system Micros, which it had acquired in 2014. The breach reportedly affects over 700 payment systems, allowing hackers to obtain logins for the companies using the Micros payment platform. Micros users include companies like Adidas, Burger King and Hilton Hotels & Resorts.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:14 pm on 09 Aug

read more at Engadget

IIT students develop two underwater robots

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:31 pm on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Students from IIT-Indore and IIT-Madras have created two underwater robots respectively that have caught the attention of the Defence Research and Development Organisation. Mimicking movements of a fish and a turtle respectively, the robots can probe underwater conditions, be used for surveillance purposes, control the orientation of missiles, and resist undercurrents without harming aquatic life.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:31 pm on 09 Aug

read more at The Better India

New iPhone to have dual camera, no headphone jack

short by Rahul Raj / 01:30 am on 09 Aug 2016,Tuesday

The new iPhone which may be released next month, will reportedly have dual camera and no headphone jack. The dual camera will produce brighter and sharper images with better details in low light. The 'home' button will be reengineered into a pressure-sensitive button that provides feedback via haptic vibrations. The new iPhone is expected to run on iOS 10.

short by Rahul Raj / 01:30 am on 09 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Mini TV shows set to come to Snapchat

short by Rahul Raj / 10:36 pm on 08 Aug 2016,Monday

Snapchat has made a new content and advertising partnership with NBCUniversal to bring mini TV shows on the platform. NBC will develop short-form versions of popular shows like 'The Voice' and E! News' 'The Rundown'. Snapchat will also develop its original shows from 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' and 'Saturday Night Live'.

short by Rahul Raj / 10:36 pm on 08 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Yahoo launches TV watching website 'Yahoo View'

short by Rahul Raj / 10:28 pm on 08 Aug 2016,Monday

Yahoo has launched a new TV watching website called 'Yahoo View' featuring Hulu's free content. Users can watch latest five episodes of shows from networks like ABC, NBC and FOX on Yahoo View, eight days post their original broadcast. The website is also tied up with Yahoo-owned blogging site Tumblr and users can directly switch between the platforms.

short by Rahul Raj / 10:28 pm on 08 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Google founders' combined net worth hits $80.9 bn

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:29 pm on 08 Aug 2016,Monday

The combined net worth of Google Co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin has reached a total of $80.9 billion, driven by the parent company Alphabet's second quarter earnings. The figure is $43 billion more since April 2012, according to Bloomberg. The net worth of Microsoft's Paul Allen, Alphabet's Eric Schmidt and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg also hit record highs on Friday.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:29 pm on 08 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Taiwan fines many for catching Pokémon while driving

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:50 pm on 08 Aug 2016,Monday

The National Police Agency of Taiwan has fined 349 people since Saturday, the day when mobile game Pokémon Go launched in the country. Most of these fines went to people who were playing the game while driving their bikes. Taiwan's Premier, Lin Chuan issued a warning on Facebook, "Catch the rare creatures, but don’t let accidents catch up with you!”

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:50 pm on 08 Aug

read more at The Guardian

Xiaomi to launch air-purifiers in India

short by Rahul Raj / 07:43 pm on 08 Aug 2016,Monday

Chinese technology company Xiaomi plans to launch its air-purifiers in the Indian market soon. First showcased in China in November 2015, the compact Mi air-purifier can be controlled using a smartphone app called 'Mi Home', which also lets the users monitor the air quality. The price and launch date of the product has not yet been disclosed.

short by Rahul Raj / 07:43 pm on 08 Aug

read more at PTI

Intex Technologies forays into refrigerator segment

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:27 pm on 08 Aug 2016,Monday

Domestic electronics maker Intex Technologies has forayed into the refrigerator segment. The company has introduced three single-door refrigerator models with a capacity range of 170 litres to 190 litres, priced between ₹10,900 and ₹14,300. Mainly known for its smartphones, Intex also manufactures LED televisions, wearables, speakers and other electronic products.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:27 pm on 08 Aug

read more at The Financial Express

Security flaws could affect 900 mn Android phones

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:55 pm on 08 Aug 2016,Monday

Researchers at Israeli software company Check Point have discovered security flaws in software running on Qualcomm chipsets, that could affect 900 million Android smartphones. Certain smartphones manufactured by Samsung, BlackBerry, HTC, LG, Motorola, OnePlus, Sony and others are vulnerable to the flaws. Exploiting the bugs could help attackers take more control over devices to access data.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:55 pm on 08 Aug

read more at Google

Man shot dead while playing Pokémon Go in US

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:41 pm on 08 Aug 2016,Monday

A 20-year-old man was shot dead on Saturday night by an unknown assailant while he was playing Pokémon Go at a tourist spot in San Francisco, US. The gunman did not take any of the victim's belongings or try to rob him. However, it's unclear if the attack had anything to do with Pokémon Go.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:41 pm on 08 Aug

read more at The Guardian

New tech developed to improve swimming technique

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:29 pm on 08 Aug 2016,Monday

Researchers in Germany have developed a new technology that can help swimmers improve their technique through a process called "sonification". The process takes in several data points, including changes in flow pressure, and converts them into sound for the swimmers to hear. With this, the swimmer would be able to know how to produce more thrust with the same energy.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:29 pm on 08 Aug

read more at YouTube

IBM unveils mobility platform for iOS in India

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:22 pm on 08 Aug 2016,Monday

IBM on Sunday unveiled an enterprise mobility platform, 'IBM MobileFirst', for iOS Garage in Bengaluru. The Garage, part of a network of centers in the US, will help clients achieve mobile-led, digital transformations on the iOS platform. The company also announced Mobile at Scale for iOS, a new offering for clients looking to invest in digital transformation projects.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:22 pm on 08 Aug

'Amazon Japan raided over antitrust practices'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:48 am on 08 Aug 2016,Monday

Japan's Fair Trade Commission has raided Amazon's office in Japan on suspicion of antitrust practices, Nikkei reported on Monday. Amazon Japan allegedly imposed several conditions on retailers including forcing them to sell products at a lower price. A Fair Trade Commission spokesman said he could not confirm the report but added, "I won't say the contents are incorrect."

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:48 am on 08 Aug

read more at Reuters

Smart uniform to protect soldiers from chemicals

short by Vani Vivek / 01:41 am on 08 Aug 2016,Monday

Scientists have created a highly breathable material that may be made into smart 'second skin' uniforms to protect soldiers from biological agents and chemical hazards in the field. The team integrated the polymer with carbon nanotubes to act as moisture conductive pores. The size of these pores is 5,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

short by Vani Vivek / 01:41 am on 08 Aug

read more at YouTube

Smart clothes would contact charity if unused

short by Vani Vivek / 10:42 pm on 07 Aug 2016,Sunday

Scientists are developing a technology for clothes that would contact charities or auction websites when not worn regularly. The ‘connected wardrobe’, which will text owners to remind them their clothes aren't being used, will contact charities if ignored for a long time. The project has been shortlisted for the Network for Innovations in Culture and Creativity in Europe (N.I.C.E) Award.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:42 pm on 07 Aug

read more at India Today

Pokémon Go crosses $200 mn in revenue in a month

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:52 pm on 07 Aug 2016,Sunday

Mobile game Pokémon Go has crossed $200 million in global revenue within a month of its launch, according to app analytics platform Sensor Tower. The figure nearly doubles the first month revenue of mobile game Clash Royale and almost four times of Candy Crush Soda Saga. The daily usage of Pokémon Go app is currently averaged at 26 minutes.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:52 pm on 07 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

HP makes backpack that charges laptop, smartphone

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:11 pm on 07 Aug 2016,Sunday

HP has made a $200 'Powerup Backpack' that has an in-built battery to charge the user's laptop and smartphone. The 22,400 mAh battery is claimed to be enough to charge a smartphone 10 times. The bag, made from canvas fabric, comes with ventilated pockets, heat sensor monitors and regulators to keep it from getting too hot.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:11 pm on 07 Aug

read more at YouTube

Device made to help wheelchair users play Pokémon Go

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:40 pm on 07 Aug 2016,Sunday

Canadian startup Komodo OpenLab has built a device called 'Tecla' that helps wheelchair users play the mobile game Pokémon Go. The device, which allows controlling the game through Bluetooth, is installed on the wheelchair. It is capable of responding to the light touch and hand gestures of the users.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:40 pm on 07 Aug

read more at YouTube

99.9% accurate quantum logic gate achieved

short by Satyaki Das / 05:04 pm on 07 Aug 2016,Sunday

University of Oxford researchers have achieved a quantum logic gate with record-breaking 99.9% precision, reaching the benchmark required theoretically to build a quantum computer. The logic gate, which is the fundamental unit of a quantum computer, places two atoms in a state of 'quantum entanglement', which means that measuring the property of one atom gives information about the other.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:04 pm on 07 Aug

read more at Phys

Sukhoi builds gym-equipped 'SportJet' for athletes

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:29 pm on 07 Aug 2016,Sunday

Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi has built a gym-equipped luxury aircraft for athletes called the 'SportJet'. The aircraft has onboard exercise bikes, massage tables, a training room and equipment for in-flight biometrics and analysis for injury diagnosis and treatment. Currently put on display at the ongoing Olympics in Rio, Sukhoi plans to deliver first SportJet in late 2017.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:29 pm on 07 Aug

read more at YouTube

Firm turns old smartphones into security devices

short by Rahul Raj / 04:25 pm on 07 Aug 2016,Sunday

US-based startup Modifi has built mods that can convert old smartphones into cost-efficient sensor systems for security, fleet management and baby monitoring purposes. The mods can detect light, sound, movement, magnetic fields and power outages, while users can create customised sensor alerts for the same. The devices can also begin recording videos according to user-defined triggers.

short by Rahul Raj / 04:25 pm on 07 Aug

read more at PTI

Startup builds content creation VR technology

short by Rahul Raj / 03:07 pm on 07 Aug 2016,Sunday

US-based startup Visionary VR has unveiled its new product, called Mindshow, that lets users define their environments, interactive surroundings and create content in first person perspective. Users can create characters with their own voice and movements and even participate in scenes created by friends. Currently in early stages of rollout, Mindshow has opened sign-ups for early access.

short by Rahul Raj / 03:07 pm on 07 Aug

read more at YouTube

Florida firm has profiles on all American adults

short by Satyaki Das / 03:04 pm on 07 Aug 2016,Sunday

Florida-based data fusion company, IDI claims to have built a profile on every American adult. According to CEO Derek Dubner, the company’s database service, idiCORE, combines public records with purchasing, demographic, and behavioural data. The personal profiles include all known addresses, phone numbers, e-mail IDs, all property and vehicles ever owned, and criminal records.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:04 pm on 07 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

First programmable quantum computer created

short by Satyaki Das / 02:31 pm on 07 Aug 2016,Sunday

Researchers at the University of Maryland have built the first fully programmable and reconfigurable quantum computer module. Called a module because of its ability to connect with copies of itself, the device takes advantage of the unique properties offered by trapped ions to run any algorithm on five quantum bits, or qubits—the fundamental unit of information in a quantum computer.

short by Satyaki Das / 02:31 pm on 07 Aug

read more at Phys

Hacked bitcoin exchange users to lose 36% deposits

short by Mansha Mahajan / 10:01 am on 07 Aug 2016,Sunday

Hong Kong-based Bitfinex has said that users will lose 36% of their deposits after the bitcoin exchange concluded its review of a $71 million hacking attack. Users will receive tokens as compensation which may later be redeemed or exchanged for shares in its parent company. Bitfinex on Tuesday disclosed that hackers stole 1,19,756 bitcoins ($71 million) from the exchange.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 10:01 am on 07 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Smart jacket to charge smartphones wirelessly

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 05:00 am on 07 Aug 2016,Sunday

A one-minute video on YouTube aims to crowdfund a jacket that can charge smartphones wirelessly with a removable wallet-sized battery pack. The jacket also has features like inflatable neck pillow and charging ports for Bluetooth earbuds fitted in the collar. The battery pack can provide one full charge to smartphones and five to Bluetooth earphones.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 05:00 am on 07 Aug

read more at YouTube

Architect uses AR HoloLens to design buildings

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 01:43 am on 07 Aug 2016,Sunday

A one-minute video on YouTube shows an architect using Microsoft's Augmented Reality headset HoloLens to design buildings. The architect is shown picking up overlays of structures from digital screens to check the size of the surrounding landscape and checking the building designs from inside for a more immersive experience. The architect claims that the HoloLens can replace physical drawings.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 01:43 am on 07 Aug

read more at YouTube

Team wins $2 million at US cyber hacking challenge

short by Vani Vivek / 12:51 am on 07 Aug 2016,Sunday

Carnegie Mellon University's team was awarded $2 million on Friday after their project "Mayhem" won the first all-machine cyber hacking tournament by US Defence agency, DARPA. The teams' systems had to perform certain tasks while constantly being fed new bug-filled code with security holes and inefficiencies. Teams had to protect their own data while attempting to access others' data.

short by Vani Vivek / 12:51 am on 07 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

NASA launches projects for eco-friendly aircraft

short by Vani Vivek / 12:49 am on 07 Aug 2016,Sunday

NASA has announced five research projects that may help make planes more efficient and green. The projects are aimed at shrinking fuel use, reducing aviation’s impact on the environment and quieting noise around airports. One of these studies will be based on Lithium-Air "breathing batteries” which expel oxygen as the battery is being charged.

short by Vani Vivek / 12:49 am on 07 Aug

read more at NASA

Apple gets clearance to sell solar energy in US

short by Vani Vivek / 11:10 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

The US energy regulator has approved an application made by Apple's energy subsidiary to sell electricity in wholesale markets around the country at market rates. Apple said the renewable energy generated at its 130-megawatt solar farm in California could power 60,000 homes. Apple also owns a 20-megawatt facility in Nevada and a 50-megawatt facility in Arizona.

short by Vani Vivek / 11:10 pm on 06 Aug

read more at Google

Disney launches messaging app Disney Mix

short by Rahul Raj / 10:01 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

Disney has launched its own messaging app called Disney Mix, aimed at kids, tweens and families, as an alternative to WhatsApp, Snapchat and other chatting platforms. According to Disney, the app has been built to provide a safer chatting environment while adhering to US regulations for child protection, and it also supports playing games, making memes and sharing stickers.

short by Rahul Raj / 10:01 pm on 06 Aug

read more at YouTube

America gets its first ever 'Pizza ATM'

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:59 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

America has received its first ever 'Pizza ATM' at Ohio's Xavier University. Built by French company Paline, the 24x7 ATM serves pizzas at just the touch of a button at $9 for a full 12-inch pizza. A touchscreen on the machine allows customers to choose pizza toppings. It takes three minutes for the ATM to deliver a pizza.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:59 pm on 06 Aug

read more at Google

Salesforce CEO Marc holds devices-free meetings

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:30 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

Marc Benioff, the Chief Executive Officer of American cloud computing company Salesforce, holds devices-free meetings with his employees. The attendees are asked to put their cell phones and tablets in a basket before a meeting starts. "Mindfulness is part of our culture, whether it’s in meetings or day to day in the office," said a company spokeswoman.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:30 pm on 06 Aug

read more at Google

French artists create robot that makes tattoos

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:21 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

French artists have created what is claimed to be the world's first industrial tattoo making robot. The robot runs a code which 3D scans the body part to be tattooed, and applies the tattoo's graphics onto the scanned surface. The robot has a needle at one of its ends, which makes the tattoo.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:21 pm on 06 Aug

read more at YouTube

Modi launches PMO mobile app at Town Hall meet

short by Chhavi Tyagi / 09:13 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched the PMO mobile application at the Town Hall meet which was held to mark two years of MyGov.in, the government's online citizen engagement platform. The newly-launched app was reportedly developed with ideas from citizens and will allow mobile users to connect with the website of the Prime Minister’s Office.

short by Chhavi Tyagi / 09:13 pm on 06 Aug

read more at Twitter

Power bank sales double after Pokémon Go launch

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:49 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

Sales of external battery packs have doubled after the launch of mobile game Pokémon Go, according to market research company NPD. Moreover, the sales over the last two weeks have doubled those of a year ago, with 1.2 million portable battery packs sold. Pokémon Go app requires constant use of GPS and motion sensors, which drains the smartphone's battery.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:49 pm on 06 Aug

read more at Recode

Geo-textile tech used to repair NH8 in Assam

short by Rahul Raj / 08:17 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

Geo-textile technology is being used for the first time to repair damages in the National Highway 08 in Assam's Karimganj district. Made from polyester or polypropylene, geo-textile fabrics have the ability to separate, filter, reinforce, protect and drain. The technology initially increases construction cost by 10-15% but repair and maintenance are not required for seven to eight years.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:17 pm on 06 Aug

read more at The Financial Express

Iran bans Pokémon Go over security risk

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:09 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

Iran has became the first country to ban the mobile game Pokémon Go. The country's High Council of Virtual Spaces, the official body that oversees Iran's online activity, took the decision citing unspecified security concerns. Iran had reportedly waited for co-operation from the game makers before taking the decision to ban it.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:09 pm on 06 Aug

read more at VentureBeat

Lost Greek statue of Zeus remade with 3D printing

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:52 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

An ancient Greek statue of Zeus lost in the 5th Century has been recreated at the Millennium Gate Museum in Atlanta using the 3D printing technology. The 1.8 metre tall statue was printed in thermoplastics, using a 3D model of the original statue. The original statue was made of wood, ivory and gold and stood 13 metre tall.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:52 pm on 06 Aug

read more at Google

Orkut creator launches new social network 'Hello'

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:10 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

Orkut Büyükkökten, creator of Google's social networking platform Orkut, has launched a new social network 'Hello' to connect people who share the same passions across the world. He said, "Hello is the next generation of Orkut...It is the first social network built on love, not likes." Hello is available as a mobile app on both the Android and iOS platforms.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:10 pm on 06 Aug

read more at VentureBeat

Startup makes bell to turn any bicycle 'smart'

short by Vani Vivek / 06:33 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

A Hungary-based startup has created a bicycle bell called 'Shoka Bell' which claims to turn any bicycle into a smart bike. The bell, which also acts as a front light, comes with a theft alert alarm, a 200-hour battery life per charge and an LED display for navigation. It is also capable of adjusting its volume according to the environment.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:33 pm on 06 Aug

read more at YouTube

Apple acquires machine learning startup Turi

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:47 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

Technology giant Apple has acquired US-based machine learning platform for developers and data scientists, Turi for a reported $200 million. Previously known as 'Dato', the startup changed its name to Turi in July this year after a trademark dispute. “The company buys smaller technology companies from time to time", said Apple in a statement.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:47 pm on 06 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

'McDonald's of the Future' opens in Missouri, US

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:25 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

Fast food chain McDonald's has opened a new 6,500 square foot outlet in Missouri, US called the 'McDonald's of the Future'. The outlet has touchscreens which lets customers make their own customised burgers and sandwiches. The outlet also has a three-storey play area that features various projections and interactive games.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:25 pm on 06 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Google's self-driving car CTO Chris Urmson quits

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:22 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

Google's self-driving car project's Chief Technology Officer Chris Urmson on Saturday quit from the company. Urmson, who joined Google's project over seven years ago, said he was “ready for a fresh challenge”, without specifying what he’s doing next. Two other engineers, namely Dave Ferguson and Jiajun Zhu, had recently quit the company to start their own venture.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:22 pm on 06 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

World’s first website was created 25 years ago

short by Twishy Shahi / 03:31 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

World’s first website was created by World Wide Web's inventor Tim Berners-Lee on August 6, 1991. The website, which is still running, was dedicated to the World Wide Web project and was hosted on Berners-Lee’s NeXT computer. It described the basic features of the web, how to access other people's documents and how to set up a server.

short by Twishy Shahi / 03:31 pm on 06 Aug

read more at Website

iPhone sales dip 35% in India in June quarter

short by Mansha Mahajan / 02:25 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

Tech giant Apple's iPhone sales in India fell 35% year-on-year, with the company shipping 8,00,000 smartphones in the June quarter against 1.2 million in the year-ago period, data released by Strategy Analytics on Friday stated. Apple's smartphone marketshare in India halved to 2.4% during the past year, data read. Notably, India's smartphone market grew 19% year-on-year during the quarter.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 02:25 pm on 06 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Govt launches citizen engagement app MyGov

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 12:45 pm on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

Minister of Law and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday launched the MyGov app ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first-ever 'townhall' style event in Delhi. Prasad said that the app will allow the general public to directly connect to high-level ministers. The launch marked two years of MyGovIndia, an online citizen engagement website of the Indian government.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 12:45 pm on 06 Aug

read more at Twitter

Mumbai to get 1,200 wi-fi hotspots by May 2017

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 11:42 am on 06 Aug 2016,Saturday

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that Mumbai will have 1,200 wi-fi hotspots by May 2017. Of these, 500 hotspots will be operational in the first phase by November 2016, Fadnavis added. Aimed at transforming Mumbai into a smart city, the hotspots would be set up at prominent locations like the Gateway of India and the Chowpatty beach.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 11:42 am on 06 Aug

read more at India Today

Death of an internet legend #Torrentz, tweets user

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:25 pm on 05 Aug 2016,Friday

Reacting to the shutdown of torrent search website Torrentz, a user tweeted, "RIP #Torrentz. Death of an internet legend." Another user tweeted, "Life has lost the meaning of Internet now." A user also tweeted, "It's time to go for limited data plans from unlimited data plans." "The world feels so much less without you," read a tweet.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:25 pm on 05 Aug

read more at Tweet Collection

ZTE invites people to design its next smartphone

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:12 pm on 05 Aug 2016,Friday

Chinese smartphone maker ZTE has launched a project called 'Project CSX' where it has invited people to submit their designs for the company's next Android smartphone. People can also vote for the designs submitted by other users. "Sometimes best ideas come from people outside the company who've a fresh take we wouldn’t have thought of otherwise," said ZTE.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:12 pm on 05 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Torrent search website 'Torrentz' shuts down

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:15 pm on 05 Aug 2016,Friday

One of the world's largest torrent search websites, Torrentz on Friday announced its shutdown after 13 years of service. The website has completely disabled its search functionality and removed all the torrent links. Earlier in July, the United States had shut down torrent files provider KickassTorrents and arrested its alleged founder for copyright infringement.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:15 pm on 05 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Android captures India's 97% phone market in Q2 2016

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:13 pm on 05 Aug 2016,Friday

Google's Android operating system captured a record 97% of India's smartphone marketshare in the second quarter of 2016, according to market research firm Strategy Analytics. On the other hand, Apple's iOS accounted for 2.4% of the Indian smartphone users. India is currently the world’s third largest smartphone market, after China and the US.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:13 pm on 05 Aug

read more at The Verge

Facebook to hide clickbait headlines from News Feed

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:56 pm on 05 Aug 2016,Friday

Facebook has built a new algorithm that will make clickbait headlines on Facebook Pages by websites disappear from users' News Feeds. Facebook manually classified tens of thousands of clickbait headlines to train the new algorithm. The more the clickbait a post is, the higher the chances that the algorithm will make the link less visible on Facebook.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:56 pm on 05 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Yahoo kills its old Messenger app

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:23 pm on 05 Aug 2016,Friday

Search major Yahoo on Friday killed the older version of its Yahoo Messenger app 18 years afer its launch in March 9, 1998. It was the main tool used by the oil traders to communicate since the late 1990s. The service will now be available at a new and faster Yahoo Messenger platform announced by Yahoo in December 2015.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:23 pm on 05 Aug

read more at Reuters

'Hackers for Hillary' event after Trump remark

short by Yash Kumar / 05:20 pm on 05 Aug 2016,Friday

The Black Hat hackers conference in Las Vegas included a fundraiser for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, called "Hackers for Hillary". This comes after her rival Trump called upon Russian hackers to help find her "missing emails" after she was embroiled in a leaked email controversy. Around 60 professionals attended the event which raised $30,000.

short by Yash Kumar / 05:20 pm on 05 Aug

read more at The Guardian

Apple announces its first ever bug bounty program

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:52 pm on 05 Aug 2016,Friday

Technology giant Apple on Friday announced its first-ever bug bounty program, where it will give cash rewards of up to $200,000 to researchers who discover vulnerabilities in its products. To be eligible for a reward, researchers will need to provide a proof-of-concept on the latest iOS and hardware. The program is scheduled to officially launch in September.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:52 pm on 05 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

I’m very, very bullish: Nadella on LinkedIn takeover

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:40 pm on 05 Aug 2016,Friday

Microsoft's Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella in an interview said that he is "very, very bullish" on the company's acquisition of LinkedIn. He added, "They’re a professional network for the world. We have the professional cloud." The software major in June this year announced to buy LinkedIn in an all-cash transaction valued at $26.2 billion.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:40 pm on 05 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Maharashtra govt to open 51 cyber labs on Aug 15

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 12:34 pm on 05 Aug 2016,Friday

The Maharashtra government will open 51 cyber laboratories on August 15 this year, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) KP Bakshi said on Thursday. The new laboratories will cover 34 districts across the state. Notably, Maharashtra has seen a rise of 142.1% from 2013 to 2015 in the registration of cyber crime cases, according to the Crime in India Report 2015.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 12:34 pm on 05 Aug

Aim to take Indian net users to 1 bn mark: Google

short by Mansha Mahajan / 11:04 am on 05 Aug 2016,Friday

Tech giant Google on Thursday said it has set a target of taking the number of Indians using the internet to the one-billion mark. This is possible by making Internet more accessible and affordable, through initiatives like free wi-fi at railway stations, Google stated. India is expected to have 600 million users by 2020 against 350 million now, it added.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 11:04 am on 05 Aug

read more at The Financial Express

Don't want to be known as woman CEO: IBM CEO

short by Satyaki Das / 11:20 pm on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

IBM's first female CEO Ginni Rometty said in a Bloomberg interview that she wants her tenure to be defined as IBM's CEO and not "woman CEO". Rometty also said, "IBM’s commitment to diversity goes back a long time", adding that IBM has a policy to ship breast milk for travelling women employees who have just had children.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:20 pm on 04 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Xiaomi unveils its first VR headset

short by Vani Vivek / 11:04 pm on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

Chinese company Xiaomi on Thursday unveiled its first Virtual Reality headset, 'Mi VR Play' which is compatible with 4.7 to 5.7-inch smartphones. The headset works with Xiaomi's Mi VR app, offering VR content from select partners. While the final pricing and date of availability of the product haven't been revealed, selected test users can buy the headset at just $0.15.

short by Vani Vivek / 11:04 pm on 04 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

FB shuts woman's account during fatal standoff

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 10:46 pm on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

During a five-hour standoff that ended in the death of 23-year-old Korryn Gaines, Facebook reportedly granted an emergency request from the US police to take her account offline. Gaines had barricaded herself with her five-year-old son and started posting videos of the scene online, police said. The boy was admitted to a hospital after being wounded in the arm.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 10:46 pm on 04 Aug

read more at The Guardian

1 in 3 UK web users have tried 'digital detox': Report

short by Satyaki Das / 10:42 pm on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

UK telecom regulator Ofcom has released a report showing that one in three internet users in UK in 2016 have tried 'digital detox' - taking a break from internet use. The report states that majority of Internet users enjoyed their self-enforced breaks, with 33% reporting they felt more productive and 27% describing it as ‘liberating’.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:42 pm on 04 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Microsoft mistakenly mails file on reporter to website

short by Vani Vivek / 09:58 pm on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

Microsoft on Tuesday accidentally sent an email to news publication Gizmodo discussing their plans to announce a new Skype bot which also contained a file on the reporter who was expected to interview Microsoft's Corporate Vice President. The file covered the reporter's history and writing style and also mentioned that "he finds Facebook bots boring and not very smart”.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:58 pm on 04 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Line launches Pokémon stickers to raise charity funds

short by Vani Vivek / 09:54 pm on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

Japan-based messaging app Line on Tuesday released a set of Pokémon-themed stickers, the proceeds from which will go towards Chance for Children, a charity set up for children affected by the country's natural disasters. A total of 40 stickers featuring Pikachu saying "Thank you" in different Japanese dialects were picked from over 180 illustrations submitted to Line's Creators Market.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:54 pm on 04 Aug

read more at Mashable

Intel recalls watches over reports of burns, blisters

short by Vani Vivek / 09:44 pm on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

Intel-owned Basis has ordered a complete recall of its Basis Peak smartwatches due to overheating issues and reports of users suffering burns and blisters. The company has asked users to stop wearing their fitness trackers immediately, offering a full refund in addition to sales tax and shipping costs. Basis Peak will also shut down its services by December 31, 2016.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:44 pm on 04 Aug

read more at YouTube

Pokémon Go boss doesn’t want people to stare at phones

short by Vani Vivek / 07:34 pm on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

John Hanke, CEO of Niantic, the company that created Pokémon Go has said that he doesn't want people to constantly stare at their phones. Speaking at a conference in California, Hanke said that Pokémon Go Plus peripheral will send notifications to wearers, giving "people a way to play the game and not look at their phones all the time".

short by Vani Vivek / 07:34 pm on 04 Aug

read more at VentureBeat

App to transform videos into moving paintings

short by Rahul Raj / 06:58 pm on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

Video editing app Artisto lets users transform their videos into moving paintings reflecting styles of popular artists like Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso. Available for both, Android and iOS, the app lets users record 10-second videos or use one directly from the gallery. The company claims to have developed the app in eight days.

short by Rahul Raj / 06:58 pm on 04 Aug

read more at Engadget

Tesla will unveil its electric minibus in 2017

short by Vani Vivek / 06:44 pm on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

American automotive company Tesla is expected to unveil its electric semi-truck and minibus in the next six to nine months, according to the company's Co-founder and CEO Elon Musk. After the unveiling, both vehicles “would enter production within low-single digit years", said Musk. The minibus, which might be called 'Spacebus', will be based off the chassis of Tesla's Model X.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:44 pm on 04 Aug

read more at The Verge

Yahoo takeover was to kill 2 birds with 1 stone: CEO

short by Vani Vivek / 06:21 pm on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

In an interview with Bloomberg, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has revealed that the company's acquisition by telecommunications firm Verizon "is a way to kill two birds with one stone". She said, "We had shareholders with two different priorities...and we had duties to both as the executive team of the company". The 41-year-old plans to stay with Yahoo through the takeover.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:21 pm on 04 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Tesla posts 13th straight quarterly loss

short by Vani Vivek / 05:13 pm on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

Automotive company Tesla Motors on Wednesday posted a loss of $293 million for the quarter ended June, its 13th consecutive quarterly loss. Led by Elon Musk, Tesla said it was still on track to meet its delivery target in the second half of 2016. According to Reuters, the quarterly report had little effect on the company's shares.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:13 pm on 04 Aug

read more at Reuters

Philips launches iKlub powered LED TVs

short by Philips / 05:00 pm on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

Philips has launched its new age content driven LEDs powered by iKlub, a one stop destination for all entertainment, information and communication requirements. For the first time in India, consumers will be able to enjoy premium HD DTH services, games, movies, music, social media and much more without worrying about multiple subscriptions. New range will be exclusively available on Amazon.

short by Philips / 05:00 pm on 04 Aug

read more at The Verge

Google's new Maps app explores Himalayas in 3D

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:45 pm on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

Google has released a new app, called Verne: The Himalayas, that enables exploring Google Maps' 3D imagery of the Himalayas alongside a 500-foot yeti, named Verne. It acts like a third-person adventure game where a user is controlling the yeti through onscreen controls. Google had previously built similar 3D imagery of New York City, the Grand Canyon and Mont Blanc.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:45 pm on 04 Aug

read more at Google

GE to install wireless sensors in active volcano

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:26 pm on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

General Electric (GE) has partnered with explorer and filmmaker Sam Cossman and the Nicaraguan government to install around 80 wireless sensors inside the Masaya Volcano as an early warning system. Cossman will descend 1,200 feet inside the volcano to test the Wi-Fi and install the sensors that will gather real-time data about Masaya's temperature, gravity and the diversity of gasses.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:26 pm on 04 Aug

read more at The Verge

New technique can hack into encrypted websites

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:54 am on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

Belgium-based researchers have discovered an attack technique, HEIST (HTTP Encrypted Information can be Stolen Through TCP-Windows), that can compromise an encrypted website using a JavaScript file hidden in an ad or page. They said the only way to prevent such attacks in the short term is to disable third-party cookies, which is usually turned off by default in most browsers.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:54 am on 04 Aug

read more at Engadget

Apple launches Apple Music for Android

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:55 am on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

Apple launched its music streaming service 'Apple Music' for Android on Wednesday. It is offering a free three-month subscription period for the service featuring over 30 million songs. Since its beta launch in November last year, the Android version has been getting several features including a home screen widget and the ability to save offline music to SD card storage.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:55 am on 04 Aug

read more at VentureBeat

'Instagram Snapchat' trending on Google today

short by Rahul Raj / 12:04 am on 04 Aug 2016,Thursday

Following Instagram's release of a new Snapchat-like video and photo feature called 'Stories' on Tuesday, 'Instagram Snapchat' was a trending Google search in India on Wednesday. It was most looked up in Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Punjab and, Jammu and Kashmir. 'Isha Foundation', 'Baar Baar Dekho' and 'Manchester City' were among the other trending Google searches on the same day.

short by Rahul Raj / 12:04 am on 04 Aug

read more at Google

Facebook unveils new 'Area 404' hardware lab

short by Vani Vivek / 10:48 pm on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Facebook has unveiled a new 22,000-square-foot hardware laboratory in its California headquarters, named 'Area 404'. The lab will be used by Facebook to prototype its solar drones, Internet-beaming lasers, VR headsets, and next-generation servers. The aim of the lab is to cut down the time it takes Facebook to get a device from conception to mass production.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:48 pm on 03 Aug

read more at Facebook

Robots create architecture with carbon fibre

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:46 pm on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Researchers at the University of Stuttgart have built wall-climbing mini robots that work together to create architecture from carbon fibre. The robots carry carbon fibre thread spools that they pass back and forth after affixing to points on a wall. The researchers are planning to increase the number of robots, allowing them to attach fibre to ceilings and curved walls.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:46 pm on 03 Aug

read more at YouTube

Bosch launches electric scooter sharing service

short by Rahul Raj / 09:33 pm on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Auto parts supplier Bosch on Wednesday launched an electric scooter-sharing service in Berlin, Germany with 200 scooters. With the new on-demand service, commuters can locate and book scooters using a connected app called 'Coup'. A management board member said, "Mobility requirements and demands are changing. Bosch wants to shape this change with their own mobility and service solutions."

short by Rahul Raj / 09:33 pm on 03 Aug

read more at Reuters

Alphabet gets approval to test delivery drones in US

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:33 pm on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Google's Alphabet has received permission from the US Federal Aviation Authority to test delivery drones in the country under its 'Project Wing'. According to The White House, deliveries below 400 feet at six sanctioned sites will be tested through the drones. Alphabet's drones take off vertically and then fly like a fixed-wing plane.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:33 pm on 03 Aug

read more at The Guardian

Chrome for Android to play videos 5 times faster

short by Rahul Raj / 08:32 pm on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Google is set to release an update for Chrome for Android with improvements on video, claiming five times faster load time. While using the browser's Data Saver mode, users will get lightweight, more compressed video which will consume less battery. Google also said a billion hours of video are viewed per week on the browser.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:32 pm on 03 Aug

read more at Google Blog

Indoor drone arena to open in South Korea

short by Vani Vivek / 08:20 pm on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Chinese drone company DJI has announced plans to open a 1,395-square-metre indoor arena for customers to learn how to fly a drone. The venue will be equipped with an adjustable LED-lit circuit to let people test their skills and an LCD TV for a first-person view from their drone. The arena will also be open for drone racing events.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:20 pm on 03 Aug

read more at YouTube

Govt to offer free ‘.bharat’ domain with ‘.in’ buy

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 06:29 pm on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

National Internet Exchange of India CEO Rajiv Bansal said they have sought permission to give a complimentary '.bharat' web address for one year on registering a '.in' website. The web addresses will also be available in Devanagari script to enable non-English speaking people to conveniently use online services. This is aimed at developing a local language online ecosystem, Bansal added.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 06:29 pm on 03 Aug

read more at The Financial Express

Smart pen that writes in 16 million colours made

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:13 pm on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

A US-based startup has made a smart pen called 'Cronzy Pen' that collects colour from its surroundings and allows writing in over 16 million colours. Connected to a dedicated app, the pen scans colours from the objects and saves it to the user's smartphone. It takes a minute before the pen is ready for writing with the scanned colour.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:13 pm on 03 Aug

read more at YouTube

Device battery status can track users online

short by Vani Vivek / 05:50 pm on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Security researchers from Princeton University have revealed that an HTML5 tool that lets site owners tell how much battery life is left on a device can also be used to track the device. The researchers confirmed an earlier finding of similar nature by successfully identifying two tracking scripts that used the tool to “fingerprint” a specific device and monitor it.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:50 pm on 03 Aug

read more at The Guardian

Threesome dating app '3nder' renamed post Tinder suit

short by Vani Vivek / 05:49 pm on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

3nder, a dating app for people seeking threesomes, announced on Tuesday that it had rebranded to 'Feeld: Discover the Undiscovered' and also launched on Android. The company is currently fighting a lawsuit against Tinder over trademark infringement. Tinder had claimed that 3nder was purposely seeking to mislead Tinder users by using a similar name.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:49 pm on 03 Aug

read more at Report

Pokémon Go makers sued over trespassing players

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:20 pm on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

A US-based man has sued Pokémon Go mobile game makers for placing Pokémon on his property without permission. The man claims that strangers started gathering outside his home with at least five people knocking on his door. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of "showing a flagrant disregard for the foreseeable consequences of populating the real world with virtual Pokémon."

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:20 pm on 03 Aug

read more at Google

Xiaomi launches Redmi 3S in India at ₹6,999

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:50 pm on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Chinese electronics company Xiaomi on Wednesday launched its Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S Prime smartphones in India for ₹6,999 and ₹8,999 respectively. Both the phones run on Android Marshmallow and come with dual SIM support, 5-inch display and 13 MP rear camera, while the Redmi 3S Prime has a fingerprint sensor. The phones will be available on Xiaomi's website and Flipkart.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:50 pm on 03 Aug

Russian bank gives Pokémon Go accident insurance

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:15 pm on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Russia's Sberbank in July started offering free insurance coverage for Pokémon Go mobile game players in Moscow. The insurance is valid for Pokéstops near the bank's branches across the city. “Considering the number of news from around the world about players being injured while catching Pokémon, we created a product that'll be free for the players," said the company.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:15 pm on 03 Aug

read more at Google

Govt adopts Twitter Seva to register telco complaints

short by Vani Vivek / 03:44 pm on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Ministry of Communications (MoC) on Tuesday adopted e-governance tool 'Twitter Seva' to address public grievances regarding telecommunication and postal services. People can tweet to the Minister of Communications, using #BSNLSeva, #MTNLSeva and #PostalSeva to reach the respective departments for their requests for assistance. MoC has become the fourth ministry to adopt Twitter Seva.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:44 pm on 03 Aug

read more at Twitter

Instagram introduces Snapchat-style 'Stories'

short by Vani Vivek / 03:36 pm on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

Instagram on Tuesday announced 'Instagram Stories' that lets users share videos and photos which will only be visible for 24 hours from the time of posting. Instagram Co-founder Kevin Systrom credited Snapchat for developing the stories format, adding that it's about putting "your own spin on it". The feature will launch on iOS and Android over the next few weeks.

short by Vani Vivek / 03:36 pm on 03 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

MIT team develops 'Interactive Dynamic Video'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:38 am on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

A team of MIT researchers has developed 'Interactive Dynamic Video' in which users can interact with or directly manipulate objects in videos. The model works by using certain algorithms to analyse vibrations given off by every object in a video captured using traditional cameras. The analysis provides realistic prediction models to anticipate objects' reactions to other forces acting upon them.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:38 am on 03 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

China's elevated bus concept completes test run

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:58 am on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

China's elevated bus-transit concept, named "Transit Elevated Bus", recently completed its first road test run in the Qinhuangdao city. The test run featured a single bus carriage traveling over the traffic on a 300-metre long controlled track. Powered by electricity, the vehicle can carry 300 passengers and is about 72 feet long and 25 feet wide, spanning multiple traffic lanes.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:58 am on 03 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Lollipop most used Android version: Google

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:34 am on 03 Aug 2016,Wednesday

According to Google's platform versions dashboard, Lollipop is still the most used Android version with 35.5% share. KitKat comes in at the second spot with 29.2% share, followed by Jelly Bean at 16.7% and Marshmallow at 15.2%. The latest Android version Marshmallow, first released in October 2015, took four months to hit 1% adoption and eight months to pass 10%.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:34 am on 03 Aug

read more at VentureBeat

'Note 7' top Google trend today

short by Rahul Raj / 11:27 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Following the unveiling of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on Tuesday and its announcement for pre-orders, 'Note 7' was the most trending search on Google in India. It was most looked up in Daman and Diu, Manipur, and Sikkim. 'Sonia Gandhi', 'Meghna Patel', and 'Azam Khan' were some of the other trending searches in India.

short by Rahul Raj / 11:27 pm on 02 Aug

read more at Google

Instagram CEO was offered job at Facebook in '04

short by Abhishek Bansal / 11:13 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Instagram Co-founder Kevin Systrom was approached by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004 to join the newly launched social networking site, while he was at Stanford University. "Unfortunately, I decided I wanted to stay in school, ..would've loved to have been part of Facebook's growth," Systrom said about declining the offer. Interestingly, Instagram was acquired by Facebook for $1 billion in 2012.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 11:13 pm on 02 Aug

read more at Google

LinkedIn launches user-created video feature

short by Rahul Raj / 10:58 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Professional social network LinkedIn on Tuesday launched a new video feature which lets its influential users create 30-second videos to address questions from its user community. Influencers can create videos using a dedicated iOS and Android app called 'Record', which is accessible only to these invited influencers. Users can view these videos along with other videos posted by these influencers.

short by Rahul Raj / 10:58 pm on 02 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Theranos CEO unveils new blood testing device

short by Rahul Raj / 10:58 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Elizabeth Holmes, CEO of US-based blood analysis startup Theranos, presented a new device called 'miniLab' on Monday which claims to run up to 40 tests on 160 microlitres of blood sample. She also presented clinical data for 11 tests which has been sent to authorities for validation. Earlier in July, Theranos was sued for inaccurate results on its blood tests.

short by Rahul Raj / 10:58 pm on 02 Aug

read more at The Verge

Cable firm sued for $100 mn for ‘near-worthless’ plan

short by Vani Vivek / 10:52 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Washington has lodged a $100 million consumer-protection lawsuit against cable-television company Comcast for deceiving consumers with a "near-worthless" protection plan. The suit accuses Comcast of more than 1.8 million violations of the state’s Consumer Protection Act, including duping residents into paying at least $73 million in subscription fees without disclosing the plan’s limitations.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:52 pm on 02 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Samsung unveils Galaxy Note 7 with iris scanner

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:51 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

South Korean electronics major Samsung on Tuesday unveiled its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone with an iris scanning feature. The handset runs on Android Marshmallow and features dual-edge display, a 5.7-inch screen, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB internal memory, 12 MP rear and 5 MP front camera. It comes with an S Pen stylus that allows users to magnify and translate.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:51 pm on 02 Aug

read more at YouTube

Instagram had 13 employees when FB acquired it

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:28 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Photo sharing platform Instagram had 13 employees in 2012 when it was acquired by Facebook for $1 billion. Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom reportedly got about $400 million from the deal which included a mix of cash and stock. Notably, Instagram CEO's net worth crossed $1 billion on Tuesday, on account of surge in Facebook shares.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:28 pm on 02 Aug

read more at Google

Murder victim's phone unlocked with paper fingerprint

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:25 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Researchers have unlocked a murder victim's Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone phone by using a 2D image of his fingerprint. The researchers had earlier attempted to unlock the man's phone by using a 3D-printed replica of one of his fingers, which was found not to be accurate enough. An image enhancement algorithm was later used to fill the fingerprint's broken lines.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:25 pm on 02 Aug

read more at The Verge

World's 1st 8K resolution broadcast begins in Japan

short by Rahul Raj / 07:59 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Japan's largest public broadcaster NHK has started the world's first 8K resolution regular TV satellite broadcast, which is 16 times as sharp as 1080p and allows 22.2-channel audio. The 'Super Hi-Vision' test channel was launched on Monday and broadcasts content in both 4K and 8K resolutions, and NHK is installing viewing stations across Japan to showcase footage from Rio Olympics.

short by Rahul Raj / 07:59 pm on 02 Aug

read more at The Verge

Online used-car dealer introduces VR to browse cars

short by Rahul Raj / 07:59 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

US-based online used-car dealer Vroom has introduced virtual reality enabled system which lets users examine cars, open doors and inspect specific components before purchasing a car. The first version has been launched on Tuesday which covers 30 car models. Vroom is also set to open popups at malls for users who don't have access to equipment to experience its virtual showrooms.

short by Rahul Raj / 07:59 pm on 02 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Startup makes wireless modular music system

short by Vani Vivek / 07:53 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

A US-based startup has developed 'Sonic Blocks', a modular wireless music system that lets users swap the speakers, panels, lights, or expand the number of units. Priced at $199, the starter kit comes with the "brain" or computer base of the speakers which the users can customise to build a home theatre or office music system among other options.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:53 pm on 02 Aug

read more at Campaign

Apple to replace gun emoji with a water pistol

short by Vani Vivek / 07:21 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Apple on Monday introduced a bright green and orange water gun to replace the black and silver revolver emoji as part of the company's iOS 10 emoji update. The update will also have a new rainbow flag and more gender diversity. In June, Apple had reportedly got the rifle emoji removed from Unicode's list of new emoji candidates for 2016.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:21 pm on 02 Aug

read more at Apple

US city testing computer algorithm to set bail

short by Vani Vivek / 07:19 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

San Francisco is testing a computer algorithm to make release recommendations and predict whether the defendant might re-offend if freed from jail. It is based on factors including pending charges, the person’s age and how frequently they show up in court. The tool makes a recommendation for or against release to a judge, who can follow or ignore the advice.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:19 pm on 02 Aug

read more at Engadget

Apple calls its iPad Pro a computer in new ad

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:39 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Apple has released a new advertisement for its iPad Pro tablet, where the company claims it to be as good as a computer. The advertisement ends with tagline "Imagine what your computer could do if your computer was an iPad Pro.” Unveiled in March, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro weighs less than a pound and has 128 GB of storage space.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:39 pm on 02 Aug

read more at YouTube

Virgin Galactic gets licence for commercial spaceplane

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:08 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Spaceflight company Virgin Galactic has obtained licence from the US Federal Aviation Administration for flight-testing its commercial spaceplane SpaceShipTwo. The spaceplane is designed to take passengers into the sub-orbital space. SpaceShipTwo is the second version of the original spaceplane, which suffered a crash during a test flight in October 2014.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:08 pm on 02 Aug

read more at The Verge

Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom joins billionaire list

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:48 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Photo and video sharing app Instagram's Co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom has joined the billionaire list with an estimated net worth of $1.1 billion. Systrom's net worth was $400 million when he sold Instagram to Facebook for $1 billion in 2012. Since then, Facebook's stock has risen strongly, soaring Systrom's net worth to over a billion.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:48 pm on 02 Aug

read more at Forbes

Amazon patents smart noise-canceling headphones

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:31 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Amazon was granted a patent for noise-cancelling headphones that listen for specific keywords and respond by automatically turning off the noise-canceling feature for the user to hear surrounding sounds. It can also turn the feature back on again based on other keywords. The headphones can be used in noisy environments where the user needs to pay attention to specific sounds.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:31 pm on 02 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Emulator enables running Macintosh OS in browser

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:42 pm on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

James Friend, a UI engineer at Facebook, has built a Macintosh emulator that enables running the 1998 Macintosh System 6 natively in a web browser, without any additional plugins or extensions. The simulated demo comes with several classic applications including MacDraw, MacPaint and Kid Pix. James has made the project's source code available on the repository hosting service GitHub.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:42 pm on 02 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Information of 200 mn Yahoo accounts put on sale

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:57 am on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

A hacker has put information of 200 million alleged Yahoo user accounts on the dark web for sale. Yahoo said it is "aware" of the hacker's claims, but did not confirm or deny the legitimacy of the data. The hacker named 'Peace', who had previously sold Myspace and LinkedIn's account information, is selling the data for three Bitcoins (roughly $1,800).

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:57 am on 02 Aug

read more at The Next Web

Designer showcases Instagram on Windows 95

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:30 am on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Russian graphic designer Misha Petrick has showcased what Instagram would look like on a device running the Windows 95 operating system. In the preview, Instagram was rendered in 8-bit graphics along with pixelated MS Sans Serif font and Microsoft's familiar teal blue background. The preview illustrated three different aspects of Instagram – scrolling, notifications and adding filters to photos.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:30 am on 02 Aug

read more at The Next Web

YouTube encrypts 97% of its traffic, says Google

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:05 am on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Google recently announced that its video sharing website YouTube and Google Calendar now encrypt 97% of their traffic. The company began reporting on its HTTPS usage in March this year, with roughly 75% encrypted traffic across all services, except YouTube and Calendar. On why this number is not at 100%, Google said some devices do not fully support modern HTTPS.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:05 am on 02 Aug

read more at The Verge

Salesforce buys word processor Quip for $582 mn

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:53 am on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Salesforce on Monday announced the acquisition of word processing app startup Quip for $582 million. Founded in 2012, Quip has raised $45 million in funding so far and is in direct competition with Google Docs, Sheets, Microsoft's Word and Excel. Quip Co-founder and CEO Bret Taylor was previously the CTO at Facebook after the social network acquired Taylor's startup FriendFeed.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:53 am on 02 Aug

read more at VentureBeat

Glassdoor sued for revealing user email address

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:22 am on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Melissa Levine, an American television researcher, has filed a class-action lawsuit against Glassdoor for revealing her email address. Last week, Glassdoor began emailing its users to tell them about an update to its terms of service. The company put all the email addresses in the CC field instead of the BCC field in the email, effectively revealing over 6,00,000 users.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:22 am on 02 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Japan gets false alarm of 9.1 earthquake

short by Satyaki Das / 12:36 am on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Japan, known for being earthquake-prone, on Monday experienced a brief period of panic when earthquake notification app Yurekuru Call sent users a notification of an impending 9.1-magnitude earthquake. This warning sent by the Japan Meteorological Agency was revoked seconds later, when it was found to be an error owing to 'ocean noise'.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:36 am on 02 Aug

read more at The Next Web

HP apologises after pricing laptops at £1.58

short by Rahul Raj / 12:26 am on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Hewlett-Packard has issued an apology after a website error let users purchase laptops for amounts as low as £1.58. It took the UK online store down to rectify the error and announced that the purchases would not be considered and customers would be refunded. A statement from HP read, "We apologise sincerely to impacted customers for any inconvenience caused."

short by Rahul Raj / 12:26 am on 02 Aug

read more at Google

Flexible hybrid polymer screen developed

short by Rahul Raj / 12:15 am on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Researchers at Japan's National Institute for Materials Science have developed an organic/metal hybrid polymer display that can be cut without damaging it. The flexible screen currently has monochrome display and a limited display area. The screen can take any shape and needs a few seconds of power to adjust to new shape while maintaining its last information.

short by Rahul Raj / 12:15 am on 02 Aug

read more at Engadget

Ad-blocking web browser raises $4.5 million

short by Rahul Raj / 12:00 am on 02 Aug 2016,Tuesday

Brave Software has raised $4.5 million in funding to continue the development of its open source web browser which blocks ads and other trackers while surfing. Founded by former Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich, it claims to offer 40-60% speed increase on desktop and 200-400% on mobile devices. It also supports fingerprint shields, phishing protection, malware filtering and encrypted data traffic.

short by Rahul Raj / 12:00 am on 02 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine to host Quora session

short by Satyaki Das / 11:32 pm on 01 Aug 2016,Monday

US Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Vice Presidential candidate Tim Kaine have decided to do a Q&A session on Quora. This comes in the wake of Republican nominee Donald Trump's recent Reddit AMA. The session is now open for questions, and Clinton and Kaine will respond in a session on August 8.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:32 pm on 01 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Indian-American teen sells secure passwords

short by Rini Kapoor / 11:04 pm on 01 Aug 2016,Monday

An eleven-year-old Indian-American girl, Mira Modi, is the founder of 'Diceware Passwords' which makes and sells secure passwords. According to a two-minute video, Mira uses a methodology called Diceware to build secure passwords using a string of numbers obtained by rolling dice. It produces random passwords that have a lot of entropy, which means it is difficult to hack them.

short by Rini Kapoor / 11:04 pm on 01 Aug

read more at YouTube

Privacy flaws found in fertility tracking app Glow

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:45 pm on 01 Aug 2016,Monday

Privacy flaws were discovered in women's fertility tracking app Glow, developed by a US-based startup. The privacy loophole let hackers access personal information including data and comments about users’ sex lives, menstrual cycles, e-mail address, location, history of miscarriages, abortions and other health details. However, the issues were later resolved by the developers.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:45 pm on 01 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Delphi to test self-driving taxis in Singapore

short by Satyaki Das / 10:45 pm on 01 Aug 2016,Monday

British automotive technology parts supplier Delphi on Monday announced a partnership with Singapore to start a pilot program for a self-driving taxi service. The system will work similar to ride-hailing services like Uber. Delphi plans to combine the cars, inter-vehicle communications systems, transactions, cloud services and security into a complete ecosystem which it plans to launch in 2022.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:45 pm on 01 Aug

read more at Engadget

Smart lamp to teach good habits developed

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:02 pm on 01 Aug 2016,Monday

Founders of Google's Project Ara initiative have created a smart lamp called 'Peak' that helps in teaching good habits to its users. Peak sends encouraging text messages to the users and recommends little steps to take towards the larger goals set by them. The lamp records the progress made and celebrates it with a burst of light.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:02 pm on 01 Aug

read more at VentureBeat

New action camera has built-in live streaming

short by Satyaki Das / 09:57 pm on 01 Aug 2016,Monday

Washington-based startup Sioeye has launched the Iris4G, a compact action camera that includes built-in LTE cell service enabling users to live stream directly from the device. The GoPro-like camera simultaneously records HD video on its memory card while streaming at 480p. Users have the option to stream live to either YouTube or Sioeye's custom cloud platform.

short by Satyaki Das / 09:57 pm on 01 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

OurMine hacks Pokémon Go maker's Twitter account

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:57 pm on 01 Aug 2016,Monday

Hacker outfit OurMine on Sunday hacked the Twitter account of John Hanke, CEO of Niantic, the company which has developed the mobile game Pokémon Go. "His password was too easy "nopass" #OurMine," tweeted OurMine. The same hacker group had earlier claimed responsibility for hacking Twitter accounts of Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Uber CEO Travis Kalanick.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:57 pm on 01 Aug

Video explains how Snapchat filters work

short by Sanira Mediratta / 08:52 pm on 01 Aug 2016,Monday

Snapchat filters are created using the technology of Ukraine-based startup 'Looksery' which the company acquired in 2015. A five-minute video explains that the technology focuses on computer vision to detect the face position and facial features to create a digital mask. The mask is then manipulated to apply the augmented reality filters.

short by Sanira Mediratta / 08:52 pm on 01 Aug

read more at YouTube

Tech glitch halts opening of European markets

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:18 pm on 01 Aug 2016,Monday

Some of the biggest European equity markets failed to open during the first three hours of trading on Monday due to a technical glitch. While the indexes opened as normal, traders were unable to hedge using the stock futures. European stock exchange Euronext NV said that the connectivity issue for certain members is currently under investigation.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:18 pm on 01 Aug

read more at Bloomberg

Verizon acquires Fleetmatics for $2.4 bn in cash

short by Rahul Raj / 07:55 pm on 01 Aug 2016,Monday

Verizon on Monday announced the acquisition of Dublin-based Fleetmatics, which provides GPS and other services to companies with mobile workforces, for $2.4 billion in cash. The deal, which is expected to close in Q4 2016, was done to build up Verizon's telematics services for small and medium businesses. Verizon had previously acquired another telematics company Telogis in June.

short by Rahul Raj / 07:55 pm on 01 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

Alphabet, GSK to form $715mn bioelectronics firm

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:26 pm on 01 Aug 2016,Monday

Google's parent company Alphabet and British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) on Monday announced an alliance to form a $715 million bioelectronics company, Galvani Bioelectronics. It will create tiny implantable devices that will modify electrical nerve signals to modulate irregular impulses during illnesses. Alphabet's Verily Life Sciences will hold 45% stake while GSK will hold 55%.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:26 pm on 01 Aug

read more at Engadget

Google Search to offer Rio Olympics news, videos

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:02 pm on 01 Aug 2016,Monday

Google on Monday announced that it has partnered with official broadcasters in more than 60 countries to integrate highlight videos of the upcoming Rio Olympic Games into Google Search results and YouTube. The company will also offer the event schedule, medal counts and athlete information in Search, and will enable exploring Rio and Olympics venues in Google Maps.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:02 pm on 01 Aug

read more at Engadget

Team develops ultra thin, transparent transistor

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:33 pm on 01 Aug 2016,Monday

A team of South Korean researchers has developed ultra-thin and transparent oxide thin-film transistors (TFT) that can be used to make high-performance wearable and transparent displays. Earlier such flexible transparent displays faced challenges like poor transparency and low electrical performance. However, the new attached oxide TFTs showed an optical transparency of 83%, the team claimed.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:33 pm on 01 Aug

LG's V20 to be 1st to run Android 7.0 Nougat

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:50 am on 01 Aug 2016,Monday

LG on Monday announced plans of launching a successor to its V10 flagship phone, called the V20, which is said to be the first device to launch with the latest Android 7.0 'Nougat'. The handset will reportedly be released in September. However, the company has not revealed any specific details or the official release date so far.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:50 am on 01 Aug

read more at The Verge

Philips launches smart health product ecosystem

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:08 am on 01 Aug 2016,Monday

Netherlands-based technology firm Philips has launched a smart health product ecosystem featuring several smart devices and a mobile app. It includes a $250 health watch that displays metrics like heart rate, activity and sleep pattern. The ecosystem also offers a $100 scale that includes BMI analysis, a $60 ear thermometer and blood pressure monitors priced at $100 and $90.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:08 am on 01 Aug

read more at TechCrunch

China debuts electric bus with 'black box'

short by Vani Vivek / 09:53 pm on 31 Jul 2016,Sunday

A Chinese province on Friday unveiled an electric bus equipped with a “black box” that automatically sends information and video footage to the control centre in case of an accident. The updated security system features emergency buttons which change the bus number on the exterior to “SOS” when pressed, accompanied by emergency lights and alarms.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:53 pm on 31 Jul

read more at The Financial Express

World's lightest electric paraglider trike developed

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:19 pm on 31 Jul 2016,Sunday

Students at the National University of Singapore, including one of Indian origin, have built the world's lightest paraglider trike, weighing 49 kgs. Named 'The Delta', the one-seater paraglider trike can fly at a speed of up to 36 kmph. It can fly for 10 minutes on a single charge, enough to cover a distance of 6 km.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:19 pm on 31 Jul

read more at YouTube

Tesla unveils 6 million-square foot Gigafactory

short by Vani Vivek / 09:08 pm on 31 Jul 2016,Sunday

Tesla on Friday unveiled its 6 million-square-foot Gigafactory in Nevada, US. The $5 billion structure, which is only about 14% complete till now, will reportedly be the biggest building in the world by footprint. By 2020, Tesla expects the Gigafactory to reach full capacity and produce more lithium ion batteries than were produced in the entire world in 2014.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:08 pm on 31 Jul

read more at YouTube

Pokémon Go earning over $10 million every day

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:27 pm on 31 Jul 2016,Sunday

Mobile game Pokémon Go is earning a daily revenue of over $10 million on iOS and Google Play combined, according to a report by app analytics firm App Annie. However, the game does not have a meaningful impact on the daily revenue of other popular games including Mobile Strike, Clash of Clans and Candy Crush Saga, the report added.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:27 pm on 31 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

New Google feature alerts users of every web mention

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:21 pm on 31 Jul 2016,Sunday

Search giant Google has launched a new feature called 'Stay in the loop' that sends an email to users every time their names are mentioned on the internet. It appears as a widget on the bottom of the search results, when users search for their own name on Google. The email alerts can be customised according to language and region.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:21 pm on 31 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

Startup makes smart wearable camera for dogs

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:13 pm on 31 Jul 2016,Sunday

A US-based startup has created 'PawsCam', a smart wearable camera for dogs to let owners keep track of their pets. The bite-proof and water resistant camera detects interesting movements such as standing up, rolling, chasing, jumping, licking, or barking and shoots 6-second shareable videos. The camera's battery lasts for up to 10 days on a single charge.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:13 pm on 31 Jul

read more at YouTube

Facebook to develop 1,500 houses in Silicon Valley

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:16 pm on 31 Jul 2016,Sunday

Social networking giant Facebook this week announced to develop 1,500 apartments near its Menlo Park campus in the Silicon Valley. The apartments are mostly being built to accommodate the company's employees, however 15% of these apartments will be sold to middle or low income families. Facebook will only plan and design the housing units, but not build them.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:16 pm on 31 Jul

read more at Google

Nanosensors named top emerging technology of 2016

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:14 pm on 31 Jul 2016,Sunday

Nanosensors and the Internet of Nanothings has topped the Top 10 Emerging Technologies 2016 list published by the World Economic Forum. The nanosensors are capable of circulating in the human body or being embedded in construction materials. Next Generation Batteries and Blockchain, the technology behind the bitcoin digital currency, were ranked second and third respectively.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:14 pm on 31 Jul

read more at YouTube

Smart sneakers made to help catch Pokémon

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:42 pm on 31 Jul 2016,Sunday

New York-based startup Vixole has created a pair of smart sneakers called 'Matrix' that helps Pokémon Go mobile game players to catch Pokémon. The sneakers sync with the game's app and sends notifications to the users of nearby Pokémon. The sneakers are also embedded with LEDs to display various Pokémon figures.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:42 pm on 31 Jul

read more at YouTube

Chinese consortium to buy Playtika for $4.4 bn

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:16 pm on 31 Jul 2016,Sunday

A Chinese consortium led by Shanghai-based game company Giant has agreed to pay $4.4 billion for Playtika, an Israel-based social casino game company. Founded in 2010, Playtika, currently owned by Caesars Interactive Entertainment, is known for games like Caesars Casino and World Series of Poker (WSOP). However, WSOP and real-money online gaming businesses will not be included in the deal.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:16 pm on 31 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

Robot with embedded neural network built

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:07 pm on 31 Jul 2016,Sunday

Japan's National Science Museum is exhibiting a new robot, named "Alter", which runs on an embedded neural network, powered by 42 pneumatic actuators and a "central pattern generator". The network replicates neurons, allowing the robot to create movement patterns of its own, influenced by sensors that detect proximity, temperature, noise and humidity, similar to that of human skin.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:07 pm on 31 Jul

read more at Engadget

Akyumen's Holofone Phablet runs Android, Windows

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:50 pm on 31 Jul 2016,Sunday

American consumer electronics company Akyumen recently unveiled its Holofone Phablet, which can run both Android Marshmallow and Windows 10 PC version. The device features a seven-inch display and a 35-lumen projector which the company claims can project up to a 100-inch screen. The handset has been made available for pre-order on the company website, priced between $600 and $950.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:50 pm on 31 Jul

read more at Engadget

US university adds Pokémon Go to its course

short by Vani Vivek / 10:51 pm on 30 Jul 2016,Saturday

The University of Idaho in the US has introduced a new physical activity class called 'Pop Culture Games' which will incorporate games like Pokémon Go into its curriculum for the next session. The class is expected to "teach students about leading active lifestyles, building teamwork and exploring their communities", according to the university's website.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:51 pm on 30 Jul

read more at Mashable

Google starts redirecting HTTP requests to HTTPS

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:14 pm on 30 Jul 2016,Saturday

Google on Friday announced that it has started redirecting HTTP web requests for pages on its search engine through the more secure HTTPS protocol. The “S” at the end of HTTPS stands for “secure”, which means the connection between computers and Google is encrypted. This protects the computers from several virus attacks and hacks.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:14 pm on 30 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

Smart bracelet made to track women's fertility

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:05 pm on 30 Jul 2016,Saturday

US-based startup Ava Science has created a smart bracelet called 'Ava' that helps women track their fertility. The bracelet identifies an average of five fertile days per cycle, doubling the women's chances to conceive. While its sensors gather physiological data points including body temperature to detect the fertile window, a dedicated app gives women an insight about their menstrual cycle.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:05 pm on 30 Jul

read more at The Verge

Google, FB, Amazon founders gained $5.6 bn this week

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:44 pm on 30 Jul 2016,Saturday

The founders of Google, Facebook and Amazon jointly gained $5.6 billion this week. Google Co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin gained a combined $2.7 billion, triggered by the search engine’s positive quarterly results. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon's Jeff Bezos gained $1.5 billion and $1.4 billion respectively, after their companies reported strong second quarter earnings.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:44 pm on 30 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

Apple once sold 34,000 iPhones per hour

short by Vani Vivek / 06:08 pm on 30 Jul 2016,Saturday

On an average, Apple sold over 34,000 iPhones every hour of every day for the quarter ended December 2014, as per the company's CEO Tim Cook. The company sold a total 74.5 million iPhone units in the quarter after the release of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Apple on Wednesday announced the sale of its one billionth iPhone.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:08 pm on 30 Jul

read more at Google

FB may owe $5bn in taxes over Ireland asset sale

short by Vani Vivek / 05:06 pm on 30 Jul 2016,Saturday

Facebook on Thursday disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it may owe the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) $3-5 billion in tax liability. The company said it “could have a material adverse impact” on its finances or cash flows. IRS started investigating Facebook in 2013 over transferring understated assets to its base in Ireland.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:06 pm on 30 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

90% iPhone users may not buy iPhone 7: Survey

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:47 pm on 30 Jul 2016,Saturday

Nearly 90% of current iPhone owners are not 'very' or 'extremely likely' to buy Apple's upcoming iPhone 7 if it isn't redesigned, according to a survey by Quartz. Further, 63% users said that they are interested to see a redesigned iPhone. The survey included 525 iPhone owners in the US whose demographics represent the country's population.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:47 pm on 30 Jul

read more at Mashable

Facebook COO Sandberg writing book titled 'Option B'

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:12 pm on 30 Jul 2016,Saturday

Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg has almost completed her next book tentatively tilted as 'Option B'. The book, co-written with professor and author Adam Grant, includes Grant's researches and Sandberg's loss when she lost her husband last year. The book's title is a reference to a piece of advice given by a friend to Sandberg after her spouse's demise.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:12 pm on 30 Jul

read more at Recode

'WhatsApp doesn't fully remove deleted chats'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:15 pm on 30 Jul 2016,Saturday

WhatsApp on iOS retains traces of chat logs even after deleting them, according to a recent report by iOS researcher Jonathan Zdziarski. He said the data can be recovered using remote backup systems or by anyone with physical access to the device. Blaming the use of SQLite library, he added that the problem can also be seen in Apple's iMessage.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:15 pm on 30 Jul

read more at The Next Web

Asus launches new gaming PC in India from ₹1.85L

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:51 am on 30 Jul 2016,Saturday

Asus has announced a new gaming device in India, ROG G20CB, which will be available in limited quantities starting from ₹1,85,990. It is the first PC in India to feature NVIDIA's Pascal GeForce GTX1080 GPU, claimed to be the most advanced graphics card ever. The PC comes in matte-black finish and is powered by a sixth-generation Intel Core i7 processor.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:51 am on 30 Jul

Sony sued for not stopping leaked movie's piracy

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:32 am on 30 Jul 2016,Saturday

Possibility Pictures, producer of American movie "To Write Love On Her Arms", has sued Sony Pictures for failing to safeguard the movie from piracy following the 2014 "Sony Hack". In the hack, Sony's confidential data including copies of then-unreleased films were leaked online. The plaintiffs claimed the movie was downloaded 20,000 times and asked for around $8.7 million in compensation.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:32 am on 30 Jul

read more at Engadget

SwiftKey bug leaks users' email addresses

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:07 am on 30 Jul 2016,Saturday

According to several reports, a glitch in the Microsoft-owned SwiftKey app caused it to reveal other users' email addresses and phone numbers as predicted text. Reportedly, the issue was with its cloud sync service which was providing its users with predictions intended for someone else. SwiftKey said it has temporarily disabled its cloud sync service and removed email address predictions.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:07 am on 30 Jul

read more at Engadget

'.web' domain sold for record $135 million

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:11 pm on 29 Jul 2016,Friday

Domain '.web' was on Friday sold to a company named Nu Dot Co for $135 million, making it the world's most expensive generic top-level domain. The company can now offer domains ending with '.web' to other firms. The world's second and third most expensive domains are '.shop' ($41.5 million) and '.app' ($25 million) respectively, while '.com' is the most famous.

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:11 pm on 29 Jul

read more at Google

Wireless charger that levitates phone mid-air built

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:50 pm on 29 Jul 2016,Friday

Canadian startup AR Designs has built a wireless charger called 'OvRcharge' that not only charges a smartphone, but also levitates and rotates it mid-air. The charger consists of two parts - a magnetic charging base and a special phone case. It stops charging the phone when the battery is full but keeps levitating it until it is removed.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:50 pm on 29 Jul

read more at YouTube

Samsung releases Galaxy S7, Edge battery test video

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:26 pm on 29 Jul 2016,Friday

Samsung has released a battery test video of its flagship smartphones Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. The smartphones compete with Huawei P9, Apple iPhone 6s, HTC 10, Sony Xperia X and LG G5. In the test, the highest amount of time a battery lasted was recorded at 10 hours 59 minutes, while the lowest was 6 hours 31 minutes.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:26 pm on 29 Jul

read more at YouTube

LED-embedded pavements developed for pedestrians

short by Vani Vivek / 07:24 pm on 29 Jul 2016,Friday

Australian design firm Büro North has developed a 'Smart Tactile Paving' system for in-ground traffic lights to prevent pedestrians on their smartphones from walking onto roads. The bumpy tactile panels consisting of LED lights glow red and green to alert walkers whether to cross the road or not. A German municipality had also introduced similar lights earlier this year.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:24 pm on 29 Jul

read more at YouTube

French startup raises $555k to make flying river taxis

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:57 pm on 29 Jul 2016,Friday

French startup SeaBubbles on Thursday raised $555,000 in funding to build egg-shaped taxis flying above the river Seine to reduce traffic in Paris. The battery-driven taxis can travel for up to 80-100 km on a single charge. Expected to launch in 2017, the taxis will be available for booking through a dedicated app and will have their own docking ports.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:57 pm on 29 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

Google introduces feature to share purchased apps

short by Vani Vivek / 06:25 pm on 29 Jul 2016,Friday

Google on Wednesday launched 'Family Library', a feature that lets family members share purchases made on Google Play. Up to six members can share the eligible app, game, movie, TV show, or book. These purchases will be available across Android devices, and movies and books will also be available on iOS devices and web in 12 countries.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:25 pm on 29 Jul

read more at The Financial Express

Microsoft to lay off 2,850 employees worldwide

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:23 pm on 29 Jul 2016,Friday

Microsoft on Thursday said that the company is laying off 2,850 of its employees worldwide in the fiscal year 2017. The lay-offs are an addition to the 1,850 job cuts in the smartphone hardware business and sales announced earlier in May this year. Microsoft has written off most of the value of its Nokia's handset business purchased in 2014.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:23 pm on 29 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

Alphabet net income rises 24% to $4.8 billion

short by Mansha Mahajan / 11:23 am on 29 Jul 2016,Friday

Google's parent company Alphabet on Thursday reported a 24% year-on-year rise in net income to $4.87 billion in the quarter ended June. The company's revenue increased 21% compared to the last year period to $21.5 billion. Further, Google's operating income also increased 24.7% to $6.99 billion. The higher profits were driven by higher advertising sales, analysts said.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 11:23 am on 29 Jul

read more at Reuters

Amazon net income rises ninefold to $857 mn

short by Mansha Mahajan / 10:06 am on 29 Jul 2016,Friday

The world's biggest online retailer Amazon, on Thursday reported a ninefold increase in its net income to $857 million in the quarter ended June, against $92 million in the year-ago period. The company also saw a 31.1% rise in its net sales to $30.4 billion. Further, operating income was $1.3 billion, compared to $464 million in the previous year period.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 10:06 am on 29 Jul

read more at The Financial Express

Startup develops smartphone-based eye test

short by Satyaki Das / 12:43 am on 29 Jul 2016,Friday

New York-based startup Smart Vision Labs has launched the SVOne Enterprise, a device that lets users test their own vision using their smartphones. The device can measure both spherical and cylindrical errors in vision. The prescription can be downloaded after approval by a remote eye doctor.

short by Satyaki Das / 12:43 am on 29 Jul

read more at Engadget

Hyperloop Transportation to create high-tech train

short by Satyaki Das / 11:44 pm on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) announced plans to test a rail-based high-tech train by 2017. The train will feature interactive on-window panels that interact with passengers, offering real-time information including news, current time, weather and route info. HTT has partnered with Europe's largest train company Deutsche Bahn to develop this train.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:44 pm on 28 Jul

read more at YouTube

Swedes can manage country's Twitter handle

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 11:26 pm on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

The @Sweden account on micro-blogging site Twitter has been handled by private citizens, who take turns to manage the account on a weekly basis, since 2011. The citizens tweet about life in Sweden and share different ideas. Inspired by the @Sweden project, Ireland has also allowed a similar weekly 'rotational curation' of the @Ireland Twitter handle from 2013.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 11:26 pm on 28 Jul

read more at Engadget

Zuckerberg youngest among top 10 richest people

short by Vani Vivek / 09:53 pm on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

32-year-old Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest among the world's ten richest people. He first appeared on the Forbes 400 list in September 2008 with a net worth of $1.5 billion at the age of 24. On Wednesday, Zuckerberg became the fifth richest person with his net worth touching an estimated high of $56.7 billion, surpassing Carlos Slim.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:53 pm on 28 Jul

read more at Forbes

App operates 29 chat services together

short by Vani Vivek / 09:37 pm on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

An 'All-in-One Messenger' app for Google Chrome was launched on Wednesday that lets users use different chat applications without opening multiple windows. It currently supports 29 messaging services including WhatsApp, Skype, WeChat, and Slack. The app, which can be downloaded from the Chrome Web Store, is compatible with computers running Windows, Mac, Linux or Chrome OS.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:37 pm on 28 Jul

read more at The Next Web

FB ordered to refund app purchases by minors

short by Vani Vivek / 09:37 pm on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

A California court has ruled that Facebook must provide refunds for purchases made by children in apps and games like Farmville. The lawsuit was filed in 2012 by two families on behalf of all Facebook users under the age of 18 who made such purchases. The company has introduced a 'Facebook Payments Support' feature that allows users to request refunds.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:37 pm on 28 Jul

read more at Engadget

World Wide Web completes 10,000 days

short by Rahul Raj / 08:40 pm on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

CERN scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, submitted the proposal to develop a distributed information system for laboratories at CERN on March 12, 1989. The project, which later came to be known as World Wide Web, completed 10,000 days on July 28, 2016. Berners-Lee's supervisor called the project "vague, but exciting" and agreed to its development.

short by Rahul Raj / 08:40 pm on 28 Jul

read more at YouTube

'Am I Pregnant' weirdest Google question: Report

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 08:03 pm on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

Marketing agency Digitaloft has listed the 'strangest' questions people ask Google, ranking 'Am I Pregnant?', with about 90,500 hits per month, as the craziest. 'How Do I Get Home?' and 'Are Aliens Real?', have been ranked second and third respectively. 'Does Farting Burn Calories?' and 'When Will I Die?' complete the top five.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 08:03 pm on 28 Jul

read more at India Today

Hyperloop One opens first manufacturing plant

short by Satyaki Das / 07:44 pm on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

Hyperloop One on Wednesday announced the opening of its first manufacturing plant in Nevada, US. Called Hyperloop One Metalworks, the 1,05,000 square-foot building will be used to build and test components for a full-system Hyperloop prototype, for testing in 2017. Elon Musk's brainchild Hyperloop, if successful, could reduce travel time between Helsinki and Stockholm (483 km) to 30 minutes.

short by Satyaki Das / 07:44 pm on 28 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Oracle to buy software firm NetSuite for $9.3 bn

short by Vani Vivek / 07:42 pm on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

Computer software company Oracle on Thursday announced that it has entered an agreement to buy cloud-software provider NetSuite for approximately $9.3 billion or $109 per share in cash. As of March, Oracle Co-founder Larry Ellison and his family owned about 45.4% of NetSuite. The deal is expected to close in 2016, until which the two companies will operate independently.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:42 pm on 28 Jul

read more at Reuters

Ford, MIT create self-driving electric shuttle

short by Satyaki Das / 06:47 pm on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

American automaker Ford is collaborating with MIT researchers on a new project to create self-driving electric shuttles to operate on the university’s Boston campus. The shuttles will be equipped with cameras and a LiDAR system to monitor pedestrian flow, which helps predict demand and plan routes for the shuttles. The shuttles will be available for service via an app.

short by Satyaki Das / 06:47 pm on 28 Jul

read more at Google

Mark Zuckerberg made $3.4 bn in an hour

short by Vani Vivek / 05:42 pm on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg made $3.4 billion in over an hour on Wednesday after positive quarterly earnings led to a rise in Facebook's shares by around 6%. This makes Zuckerberg the fifth richest person in the world with a net worth of $56.7 billion, according to Forbes.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:42 pm on 28 Jul

read more at Forbes

China's gaming industry hits $11.8 bn this year

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:36 pm on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

China's gaming market sales revenue touched $11.8 billion in the first half of this year, marking a 30% year-on-year growth, according to a report. Mobile games saw the fastest growth with sales soaring 79% to $5.64 billion. China could overtake the US to become the largest gaming market this year, with $24.4 billion in revenue, a market research agency estimated.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:36 pm on 28 Jul

read more at The Financial Express

Brazil freezes FB's $11.7 mn over WhatsApp case

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:07 pm on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

The public federal prosecutor in Amazonas, Brazil said the court has frozen Facebook's funds worth $11.7 million for failing to supply WhatsApp data of the users under criminal investigation. The frozen funds correspond to the fines for failing to comply with court order to turn over data, it added. Notably, Brazilian courts have suspended WhatsApp nationwide three times since December.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:07 pm on 28 Jul

read more at Reuters

Apple sells its 1 billionth iPhone

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:44 pm on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

Apple on Wednesday announced that it sold its one billionth iPhone last week. The news comes about two years after the company sold the 500 millionth unit of its handheld device. The iPhone was first introduced in 2007 by late Co-founder Steve Jobs and had registered its one millionth sale after 74 days of the launch.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:44 pm on 28 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

Apple patents stylus that can act as air mouse

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:16 pm on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

Apple recently patented a stylus concept featuring inertial sensors, which could enable it to act as an air mouse or joystick. In the patent, the company outlined a stylus with pressure sensitivity and inertial sensors. It can be used as a joystick when standing on its tip, or can be used as a rotating controller when rotated left and right.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:16 pm on 28 Jul

read more at Engadget

IBM announces projects to fight Zika

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:25 am on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

IBM recently announced it would provide its technology and resources to help track the spread of Zika. It is collaborating with the New York-based Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies to devise algorithms that can determine which primates are the virus carriers. It also runs the 'OpenZika project' for screening millions of chemical compounds to identify candidates to combat the virus.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:25 am on 28 Jul

read more at Reuters

VMR launches e-cigarette with touchscreen

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:38 am on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

Electronic cigarette company VMR Products has launched the VERTX Plus e-cigarette which features a touchscreen. Users can adjust both the heating element's voltage (3.5-4.5 V) and the device's LED indicators by swiping across its face. The $90 device features a 420 mAh lithium-ion battery and will offer three times as many puffs as other e-cigarettes per cartridge, the company claimed.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:38 am on 28 Jul

read more at Engadget

Facebook net income rises 186% to $2 billion

short by Mansha Mahajan / 10:04 am on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

Social media giant Facebook on Wednesday reported a net income of $2.04 billion for the quarter ended June, up 186% over the year-ago period. The company's revenue also surged 59.2% year-on-year to $6.44 billion. Further, total advertising revenue increased by 63% to $6.24 billion. Facebook now has more than 1.7 billion monthly active users, an increase of 15% year-on-year.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 10:04 am on 28 Jul

read more at The Financial Express

Microsoft releases camera app for iPhones, iPads

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:53 am on 28 Jul 2016,Thursday

Microsoft on Wednesday released a new replacement camera application, called Pix, for iPhones and iPads. Upon detecting a face, the app automatically adjusts settings and after-shot enhancements. It also allows comparing the before and after images. The app can sense motions in the shot and automatically create a live Image, and can even help stabilize and time lapse existing videos.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:53 am on 28 Jul

read more at Engadget

Israeli tech firm ends partnership with Tesla

short by Rahul Raj / 11:33 pm on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Israel-based technology firm Mobileye ended its collaboration with electric-vehicle maker Tesla on Tuesday. Though Mobileye will provide technical support for its EyeQ3 processor, it won't develop Autopilot-related products for Tesla. Mobileye said that its earnings won't be affected as it will direct resources towards its partnership with BMW and Intel for developing self-driving features.

short by Rahul Raj / 11:33 pm on 27 Jul

read more at Autoblog

Mercedes-Benz unveils electric transport truck

short by Rahul Raj / 11:32 pm on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

German multinational automaker Mercedes-Benz unveiled an electric heavy urban transport truck in Stuttgart on Wednesday, making it the first fully electric truck of its kind. With an admissible weight capacity of 26 tonnes, it has a maximum range of 200 km. The company said the production of the electric truck will be possible at the beginning of the next decade.

short by Rahul Raj / 11:32 pm on 27 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Robo-exoskeleton to prevent cerebral palsy made

short by Rahul Raj / 10:34 pm on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Researchers at University of Oklahoma have developed a robotic exoskeleton that helps children susceptible to develop cerebral palsy. Power steering of the motorised device gives babies the ability to learn to crawl normally, promoting brain growth and development of motor skills. The team has also developed a method to detect the illness in children aged two to eight months.

short by Rahul Raj / 10:34 pm on 27 Jul

read more at YouTube

#MiNotebookAir like Macbook with no logo, tweets user

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:10 pm on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Reacting to Xiaomi launching its first ever laptop 'Mi Notebook Air', a user tweeted, "#MiNotebookAir is similar like Macbook with no logo. Wow jz woww." Another user tweeted, "The all new cheaper Macbook air #MINotebookAir." A user also tweeted, "If real life performance matches its spec sheet, I am #sold."

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:10 pm on 27 Jul

read more at Tweet Collection

Twitter not 'good enough’ at handling abuse: CEO

short by Vani Vivek / 10:08 pm on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Reacting to Twitter's handling of hateful messages and abuse on its platform, the company's CEO Jack Dorsey on Tuesday said, "We haven’t been good enough...we need to do better.” He added, “Abuse is not civil discourse...No one deserves to be a target of abuse online and it doesn’t have a place on Twitter."

short by Vani Vivek / 10:08 pm on 27 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

Apple iPhone sales in India grows 51% in Q3 2016

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:42 pm on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Apple iPhone sales in India grew 51% in Q3 of 2016 as compared to the previous quarter. Apple CEO Tim Cook said, “India is now one of our fastest growing markets. We’re looking forward to opening more retail stores in India down the road, and we see huge potential.” However, Apple sold 40.4 million iPhones in Q3, down 15% y-o-y.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:42 pm on 27 Jul

Xiaomi unveils Redmi Pro phone priced at ₹15,100

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:34 pm on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi on Wednesday unveiled its new 'Redmi Pro' smartphone in China at a starting price of ₹15,100. The dual-SIM handset runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and comes with a 5.5-inch OLED display and a fingerprint sensor. It features 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal memory, 5 MP front camera and 13 MP rear camera.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:34 pm on 27 Jul

read more at Engadget

Apple CEO Tim Cook calls Pokémon as Pokéman

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:26 pm on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Apple CEO Tim Cook, who announced the company's earnings on Wednesday, repeatedly referred to the mobile game Pokémon Go as Pokéman. Cook said, "It turns that the AR (Augmented Reality) and the Pokéman phenomena is incredible...We are high on AR for the long run, we think it's great...iPhones are up in the wild chasing Pokémans."

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:26 pm on 27 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

Qualcomm to pay $19mn in sex discrimination suit

short by Vani Vivek / 07:14 pm on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Technology firm Qualcomm on Tuesday agreed to pay $19.5 million to settle a gender discrimination suit filed on behalf of nearly 3,300 women. According to the lawsuit, women working in research and engineering are paid less than their male counterparts, and are promoted less often. Qualcomm will hire consultants to set diversity policies and ensure their enforcement through compliance officers.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:14 pm on 27 Jul

read more at Engadget

Scientific headphones helping Rio-bound athletes

short by Saloni Tandon / 06:43 pm on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

A number of Rio-bound relay medal winners from USA and Trinidad and Tobago are using a special set of headphones to train for the upcoming Rio Olympics. Named the ‘Halo Sport’, the headphones have been designed by US-based science technology firm Halo Neuroscience and are helpful in stimulating brain activity to improve muscular movement and increase strength.

short by Saloni Tandon / 06:43 pm on 27 Jul

read more at Engadget

Xiaomi unveils its 1st laptop thinner than Macbook Air

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:35 pm on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Xiaomi on Wednesday unveiled its first 14.8 mm-thick laptop called 'Mi Notebook Air' in China which is 13% thinner than Apple's 17 mm-thick MacBook Air. With prices starting from ₹36,200, the laptop runs on Microsoft Windows 10 and allows unlocking with Mi Band 2 fitness tracker. It features a 12.5-inch display, 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:35 pm on 27 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Shirt changes colour on detecting air pollution

short by Vani Vivek / 05:53 pm on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

A new clothing line called Aerochromics has launched three shirts, starting at $500, which change colour on detecting either carbon monoxide, particle pollution, or radioactivity. The 'Reactive Particle Pollution' shirt, for example, alerts wearers when they enter a concentrated area of particle pollution by activating heat pads that change the white dots on the shirt to black.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:53 pm on 27 Jul

read more at The Verge

Facebook open sources its Surround 360 camera

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:05 pm on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Facebook on Tuesday open sourced its high-quality 3D-360 hardware and software video capture system, called Surround 360 camera, which was unveiled earlier this year. It will come with a set of instructions for assembling the camera, loading the software and shooting 360 content. The $30,000-setup features 17 cameras with four-megapixel lenses that can shoot 4K, 6K or 8K 360º videos.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:05 pm on 27 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Blackberry unveils "most secure Android phone"

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:18 pm on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Blackberry on Tuesday unveiled its second Android smartphone, DTEK50, which it claims is the world's most secure Android device. The $299-phone lets users automatically monitor their OS and apps to know when their privacy could be at risk. It also offers full disk encryption and secure boot process, wherein each stage of boot chain will verify the next stage's status.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:18 pm on 27 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

LG Display to invest $1.75 bn for flexible OLED

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:49 am on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

South Korea-based LG Display recently announced it will invest $1.75 billion in an attempt to meet the growing demand for flexible OLED displays, which are touted to replace LCDs in smartphones and other devices. The company said it was building a new production line for small-to-medium sized flexible OLED screens that will produce 15,000 input sheets per month from 2018.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:49 am on 27 Jul

read more at Engadget

LeEco to buy American tech firm Vizio for $2 bn

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:35 am on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Chinese technology giant LeEco will acquire California-based TV manufacturer Vizio for $2 billion and operate it as an independent subsidiary, the companies announced on Tuesday. Vizio founder and CEO William Wang will leave the company and head Vizio's data business, Inscape, which is being spun-out into a privately-held company. LeEco will own 49% of Inscape, while Wang will own 51%.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:35 am on 27 Jul

read more at Engadget

Apple profit drops 27%; App Store sales at record high

short by Arjun Bhatia / 09:33 am on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Apple on Tuesday reported a 27.1% year-on-year decline in net income to $7.8 billion for the quarter ended June. Quarterly revenue dropped by 14.5% to $42.4 billion. While iPhone sales fell to 40.4 million units from 47.5 million units in the year-ago period, sales from services grew by 19% year-on-year, as revenue from the App Store hit an all-time high.

short by Arjun Bhatia / 09:33 am on 27 Jul

read more at Apple

Twitter posts slowest revenue growth since IPO

short by Arjun Bhatia / 09:16 am on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Twitter on Tuesday reported its slowest revenue growth since going public in 2013. The microblogging platform posted a revenue of $602 million for the quarter ended June, up 20% year-on-year, while recording a net loss of $107 million. Average monthly active users increased marginally to 313 million. Following the results’ announcement, Twitter’s shares dropped by over 10% in after-hours trading.

short by Arjun Bhatia / 09:16 am on 27 Jul

read more at Reuters

Yahoo launched IPO in 1996 with just 49 employees

short by Rahul Raj / 12:02 am on 27 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Yahoo was founded in 1995 and launched a successful IPO in 1996 with just 49 employees. Opening with a price of $24.50 per share, the stock prices soared to $43 and closed at $33 on the NASDAQ Stock Market. The total amount raised in the IPO was $33.8 million at a market capitalisation of $848 million.

short by Rahul Raj / 12:02 am on 27 Jul

read more at Google

Device to home-brew alcoholic beverage unveiled

short by Rahul Raj / 11:07 pm on 26 Jul 2016,Tuesday

US-based startup Alchema has designed a device to home-brew fruit-based alcoholic beverage cider. Users need to select a recipe from a dedicated app and follow the instructions to prepare the drink. The device has an in-built scale to notify users of the quantity of ingredients and also features a UV light system to kill bacteria.

short by Rahul Raj / 11:07 pm on 26 Jul

read more at Campaign

AOL CEO explains Yahoo deal in an interview

short by Rahul Raj / 09:54 pm on 26 Jul 2016,Tuesday

After the $4.83 billion deal between Verizon and Yahoo on Monday, Verizon-owned AOL's CEO Tim Armstrong said in an interview, "You’ll see strong leadership on all of the mega-consumer brands and on the platform businesses." He further added, "My guess is that M&A will slow down until we get this strategy and structure really straightened out."

short by Rahul Raj / 09:54 pm on 26 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Microsoft announces new features for its Office apps

short by Rahul Raj / 09:14 pm on 26 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Microsoft on Tuesday announced that a new set of cloud-powered intelligent services in Office apps will be released this month. Two new features called 'Editor' and 'Researcher' have been introduced for Word, which help improve users' document contents. 'Zoom' for Powerpoint lets users easily navigate through slides. Other features for its apps like Outlook will also be added with this release.

short by Rahul Raj / 09:14 pm on 26 Jul

read more at Recode

Artist celebrates women in movies on Instagram

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:13 pm on 26 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Mumbai-based 21-year-old illustrator Shivani Gorle celebrates females in lead roles in movies through her Instagram posts. Each post includes a portrait of Gorle's favourite female characters with one of their dialogues in the film. Gorle says, "I felt like there was a lot more room for gender equality in the film industry, especially in the 21st century."

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:13 pm on 26 Jul

read more at Mashable

Security threat in wireless keyboards revealed

short by Rahul Raj / 09:00 pm on 26 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Cybersecurity company Bastille released its research called 'KeySniffer' on Tuesday, which is a set of vulnerabilities affecting wireless keyboards. The research revealed that keyboards from eight manufacturers use unencrypted radio communication, which can be attacked using equipment costing less than $100. An attacker can record all the keystrokes typed by the victim from over 250 feet away.

short by Rahul Raj / 09:00 pm on 26 Jul

read more at VCCircle

New Android app alerts users of nearby Pokémon

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:25 pm on 26 Jul 2016,Tuesday

A new Android app called 'PokeNotify' claims to notify Pokémon Go mobile game players of the Pokémon around them. The app lets users select the Pokémon they are looking for, and be notified automatically on their phone when those Pokémon are near their location. It also allows users to filter out the Pokémon they have already caught.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:25 pm on 26 Jul

read more at The Next Web

Moscow to get Pokémon Go-style history app

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 08:06 pm on 26 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Moscow authorities have said they are updating an existing app to work like Pokémon Go, so that users can hunt for historic figures and "catch" them by taking selfies with their 3-D representations. Called 'Discover Moscow Photo', the full app will be available by the end of August. Notably, Pokémon Go is not available in Russia at the moment.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 08:06 pm on 26 Jul

read more at The Guardian

Android Phone app to identify spam callers

short by Rahul Raj / 07:33 pm on 26 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Google on Tuesday added spam call detection feature to its phone app for Android, where users can block and report unknown numbers. The feature is initially available for Nexus and Android One devices only. Previously, the 2013 update at the launch of Android KitKat added the Caller ID feature to the phone app.

short by Rahul Raj / 07:33 pm on 26 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Snapchat not impacting FB growth: Morgan Stanley

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:24 pm on 26 Jul 2016,Tuesday

According to a recent analysis by Morgan Stanley, Snapchat is not having a material impact on Facebook's engagement or daily active user (DAU) growth. It further added that while Snapchat will continue to be popular, Facebook investors do not need to worry. Notably, Snapchat in 2013 had rejected Facebook's $3 billion acquisition offer.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:24 pm on 26 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

Life is not a game: Mumbai Police to Pokémon players

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:08 pm on 26 Jul 2016,Tuesday

The Mumbai Police has alerted players of mobile game Pokémon Go over road safety through a couple of tweets on Twitter. "Life is not a game. Especially not one to be played on the roads!", it tweeted. "What we don't know is usually what gets us killed! Roads have never been the best place to play games!", read another tweet.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:08 pm on 26 Jul

read more at Twitter

Solar plane completes 1st ever round-the-world trip

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:15 pm on 26 Jul 2016,Tuesday

A private experimental project's solar-powered plane, Solar Impulse 2 completed the first ever round-the-world solar flight after it touched down in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The plane, which has a wingspan wider than a Boeing 747, carried over 17,000 solar cells on its wings and began its circumnavigation in March 2015. It covered the 17-stage, 42,000-km journey in 505 hours.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:15 pm on 26 Jul

read more at The Guardian

Google-backed Chinese startup sells $200 smartwatch

short by Rahul Raj / 05:51 pm on 26 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Beijing-based AI startup Mobvoi, whose last funding round was led by Google, is set to sell its $200 smartwatch Ticwatch 2 in US in September. The watch's new version has a voice-activated search which responds to questions in English and users can order pizzas, book cabs and browse restaurants. Notably, this investment was Google's first direct investment in China.

short by Rahul Raj / 05:51 pm on 26 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

Student integrates $25,000 robot with VR

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:35 pm on 26 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Scott Devin, a student at Queen's University Belfast in the UK, has integrated a robot with an HTC Vive Virtual Reality (VR) headset to create a haptic feedback system. The $25,000 Baxter robot actively follows a VR user's pushing actions against them to simulate physical objects in a virtual space. Devin showcased the setup and feedback system in a video.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:35 pm on 26 Jul

read more at Engadget

OurMine hacks news publisher TechCrunch

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:12 pm on 26 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Hacker outfit OurMine on Tuesday briefly hacked online publisher of technology industry news TechCrunch. The website's home page read, "OurMine Team - Important Message! Hello guys, don't worry we are just testing techcrunch security, we didn't change any passwords." Notably, the same hacker outfit earlier claimed responsibility for hacking Twitter accounts of Sundar Pichai and Mark Zuckerberg.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:12 pm on 26 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Machine power use may surpass production by 2040

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:01 pm on 26 Jul 2016,Tuesday

A recent report published by the National Science Foundation has warned that, by 2040, computers could require more energy than the global production, if the current trends continue. The theory was explained with a chart made using the Landauer's principle, which states that every single bit operation in any computer must use an absolute minimum amount of energy.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:01 pm on 26 Jul

read more at Daily Mail

FB admits blocking WikiLeaks' DNC email links

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:28 pm on 26 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Facebook has admitted that it blocked links to WikiLeaks' DNC email database of over 19,000 emails sent to and by US Democratic National Committee members which were leaked online last week. WikiLeaks had earlier provided a workaround for the same in a tweet. Facebook, however, did not reveal the reason for blocking the links and has reportedly fixed the issue.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:28 pm on 26 Jul

read more at The Next Web

Amazon India launches Prime subscription service

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:33 pm on 26 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Amazon India on Tuesday announced the launch of its Prime membership program, at an annual subscription fee of ₹499. The new service allows unlimited free one-day and two-day delivery with no minimum purchase amount and offers a 30-minute early access to new deals every day. The company is offering a free trial period of 60 days for new members.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:33 pm on 26 Jul

Hillary Clinton app launched on iOS

short by Satyaki Das / 11:02 pm on 25 Jul 2016,Monday

US Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's supporter group Hillary for America launched 'Hillary 2016' on Apple's App Store on Sunday. The app features check-ins to campaign events and televised speeches, quizzes on Clinton’s policies, and offers virtual badges and physical prizes. "The only thing standing between Donald Trump and the presidency is us," the app's description reads.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:02 pm on 25 Jul

read more at The Verge

I'm planning to stay, says Yahoo CEO in an email

short by Rahul Raj / 10:53 pm on 25 Jul 2016,Monday

After the $4.83 billion acquisition of Yahoo's core business by Verizon on Monday, CEO Marissa Mayer wrote, "I'm planning to stay." In an email to employees, she added, "I love Yahoo, and I believe in all of you. It's important to me to see Yahoo into its next chapter." Mayer will reportedly assist with the transition and then depart the company.

short by Rahul Raj / 10:53 pm on 25 Jul

read more at Tweet Collection

Yahoo had offered to buy Facebook for $1 billion

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:54 pm on 25 Jul 2016,Monday

Yahoo had made an offer to buy social networking site Facebook for $1 billion in 2006, but the offer was turned down by Mark Zuckerberg. Interestingly, Yahoo had earlier made a failed attempt to buy Google in 2002. Yahoo's internet business was acquired by Verizon on Monday for $4.83 billion.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 09:54 pm on 25 Jul

read more at Google

Withings debuts fitness devices starting at ₹10k

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:26 pm on 25 Jul 2016,Monday

Nokia-owned electronics company Withings on Monday entered India by launching a range of smart fitness devices with prices starting from ₹9,999. Six products were launched by the company which include Body Wi-Fi scale, Activite fitness tracker, Aura sleep monitor, Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor, Home HD camera and the Pulse Ox activity tracker. Withings will sell its products via Amazon in India.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:26 pm on 25 Jul

read more at 91Mobiles

Tech for glasses-free 3D movie theatres created

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:38 pm on 25 Jul 2016,Monday

Researchers have created a new display technology called 'Cinema 3D' that allows users to view 3D imagery without glasses. The technology uses 50 combinations of lenses and mirrors to deliver a range of 3D angles across the whole theatre, without sacrificing the resolution. The researchers, however, said that the technology isn't quite ready to be applied at local theatres.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:38 pm on 25 Jul

read more at Engadget

Pokémon Go mobile game to get new Pokémon

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:00 pm on 25 Jul 2016,Monday

Pokémon Go's maker Niantic's Founder and CEO John Hanke on Sunday said, "Beyond first generation Pokémon, there are some others that may make their way into our universe." Hanke added, "We're looking forward to finding interesting ways to make that happen in the coming months and years." He further said that the game would also let players modify PokéStops' functions.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:00 pm on 25 Jul

read more at The Verge

Vine's source code was public for five minutes

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:59 pm on 25 Jul 2016,Monday

A security researcher who goes by the name 'avicoder' claims that the source code of Twitter's six-second video app Vine was accidentally made public for five minutes. The researcher said that he found a subdomain on Vine's website, which helped him to discover the app's entire source code. He was paid $10,080 bug bounty by Twitter for finding the code.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:59 pm on 25 Jul

read more at The Next Web

Microsoft had offered to buy Yahoo for $44.6bn in 2008

short by Rahul Raj / 06:17 pm on 25 Jul 2016,Monday

Microsoft had offered to buy Yahoo in 2008 for $44.6 billion, at a price of $31 per share. Yahoo rejected the offer stating that it “massively undervalued” the company. The stock was priced with a 62% premium over Yahoo’s last closing price, when the deal was offered. Verizon bought Yahoo for $4.83 billion in an all-cash deal on Monday.

short by Rahul Raj / 06:17 pm on 25 Jul

read more at Engadget

Verizon buys Yahoo for $4.83 billion in cash

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:45 pm on 25 Jul 2016,Monday

American telecommunications company, Verizon on Monday announced the acquisition of Yahoo's core internet business for $4.83 billion in cash. Yahoo said it will change its name and become a publicly traded investment company. The deal does not include Yahoo's stake in Alibaba Group and Yahoo Japan, cumulatively valued at around $40 billion.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:45 pm on 25 Jul

read more at Reuters

Ericsson ousts Hans Vestberg as CEO

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:35 pm on 25 Jul 2016,Monday

Swedish telecom Ericsson's Chief Executive Hans Vestberg has been ousted with immediate effect, the company said on Monday. CEO since 2010, Vestberg's departure comes amid stock slumps, intensified competition, and investigations into the wireless-networking gear maker's business in Europe and Asia. Chief Financial Officer Jan Frykhammar will be acting CEO, as Ericsson finds Vestberg's successor.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:35 pm on 25 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

Nintendo stocks fall after Pokémon Go revelation

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:29 pm on 25 Jul 2016,Monday

Nintendo's shares on Monday dropped by 17% (about $6.4 billion) following the company's revelation that Pokémon Go's impact on its results will be limited as it only owns 32% of The Pokémon Company. The game, which earlier helped Nintendo double its market value in two weeks, is a collaboration between The Pokémon Company and the American game company Niantic Labs.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:29 pm on 25 Jul

read more at The Verge

'FB, Twitter helped probe of alleged militants'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:18 pm on 25 Jul 2016,Monday

The judge overseeing the probe that led to the arrest of suspected Islamist militants in Brazil last week said that Facebook and Twitter assisted the investigation by revealing suspects' social network activity. Investigators said the suspects had discussed online about attacking the upcoming Rio Olympics. "There is no anonymity for those sorts of activities on the Internet", the judge added.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:18 pm on 25 Jul

read more at Reuters

Teens illegally cross border playing Pokémon Go

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:04 pm on 25 Jul 2016,Monday

The US Border Patrol Agents apprehended two juveniles crossing the US-Canadian Border illegally last week while they were playing the Pokémon GO game. "Both juveniles were so captivated by their Pokémon GO games that they lost track of where they were", an officer said. They were later reunited with their mothers at a nearby border patrol station, the agency added.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:04 pm on 25 Jul

read more at Reuters

New app can help prevent car theft

short by Satyaki Das / 03:21 am on 25 Jul 2016,Monday

US firm Voyomotive has developed an app to help prevent vehicle hacking and theft. The Lockdown app uses two-step authentication to authorise vehicle entry and engine start via a hardware controller that can be installed inside any car. If an unauthorised user tries to enter the vehicle, the app re-locks the doors, honks the horn and flashes the headlights.

short by Satyaki Das / 03:21 am on 25 Jul

read more at YouTube

Man 3D-prints unicycle with top speed of 30 kmph

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:20 pm on 24 Jul 2016,Sunday

A man has built a 3D printed electric unicycle that has a top speed of 30 kmph. Powered by a 500W motor and 2900 mAh battery, the unicycle can ride for 40 kilometres on a single charge. The man 3D-printed nuts, washers, pedal brackets and other parts of the unicycle separately and assembled them together to get the final product.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:20 pm on 24 Jul

read more at YouTube

Robot that cooks and serves sausages developed

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:54 pm on 24 Jul 2016,Sunday

A German technology company has built the 'BratWurst Bot', a robot that can cook and serve sausages. The robot uses embedded cameras to locate the sausages on the tray or grill and monitor their colour to decide when to flip them. A dedicated app for the robot lets users place their orders and know the status in real-time.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:54 pm on 24 Jul

read more at YouTube

AI therapist claims to diagnose depression

short by Satyaki Das / 09:18 pm on 24 Jul 2016,Sunday

US researchers have developed Ellie, a virtual psychologist, that claims to be capable of diagnosing depression. The software observes 66 points on the patient’s face to read variations in facial expression, taking note of a 'flat' expression that is symptomatic of depression. Notably, surveys indicate that patients prefer to reveal personal information to Ellie over a human therapist.

short by Satyaki Das / 09:18 pm on 24 Jul

read more at YouTube

Phone case with battery, Pokémon Library created

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:40 pm on 24 Jul 2016,Sunday

A Brazilian man named Brunno Barbosa has made a $99 3D printed smartphone case for Pokémon Go players called 'Pokédex Case', that provides extra battery and comes with a 'Pokémon Library'. The Pokémon Library displays all the Pokémon caught by the player in 3D with buttons to choose between music and video.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:40 pm on 24 Jul

read more at IndieGoGo

Smart crate made to help dogs get rid of anxiety

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:25 pm on 24 Jul 2016,Sunday

Florida-based startup PNP Robotics has created a smart crate called 'ZenCrate' that helps dogs to get rid of anxiety. The crate automatically detects when a dog comes inside and begins playing calming music and turns on the fan. Further, the crate's vibration damping technology reduces the physical vibrations from the outside thunder or heavy machinery.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:25 pm on 24 Jul

read more at Google

Tamil Nadu has most urban net subscribers

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 07:02 pm on 24 Jul 2016,Sunday

According to government data as of March 2016, Tamil Nadu had the maximum number of urban internet subscribers in India, accounting for over 21 million of a total 231 million urban subscribers in the country. Meanwhile, Maharashtra and Delhi had 19.7 million and 19.6 million subscribers respectively, followed by Karnataka with 17 million.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 07:02 pm on 24 Jul

read more at The Financial Express

Add-on brings 3D sound to standard headphones

short by Satyaki Das / 06:38 pm on 24 Jul 2016,Sunday

French startup 3D Sound Labs has created a module that can be fitted into standard headphones to convert them into 3D sound headphones. Priced at $99, the module has an elastic band that can be secured around a headphone band. Users can then interact with the module via an app on their smartphone.

short by Satyaki Das / 06:38 pm on 24 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Solar plane begins final leg of its world flight

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:26 pm on 24 Jul 2016,Sunday

Solar powered plane Solar Impulse 2 on Sunday took off from Cairo and headed towards Abu Dhabi, beginning its 17th and last leg of the first ever fuel-free round-the-world flight. It's expected to take 48 hours to reach Abu Dhabi. The plane, which cruises at an average speed of 75 kmph, began its journey on March 9, 2015 from Abu Dhabi.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:26 pm on 24 Jul

Syrian kids seek help by holding Pokémon cards

short by Chhavi Tyagi / 04:27 pm on 24 Jul 2016,Sunday

Several pictures of children in war-torn Syria holding placards with Pokémon and Arabic text asking to be saved have surfaced online. "I'm in Kafr Nabl on the outskirts of Idlib, come and save me," read one such placard. This campaign reportedly asks that gamers take a break from hunting Pokémon and turn their attention to children trapped in war zones.

short by Chhavi Tyagi / 04:27 pm on 24 Jul

read more at The Guardian

Salesforce wanted to pay more than MS: LinkedIn

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:49 pm on 24 Jul 2016,Sunday

LinkedIn has revealed that Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff in an email said that the company was willing to go “much higher” than Microsoft's bid to acquire LinkedIn. While LinkedIn could still go with another bid, its deal with Microsoft contains a $725 million breakup fee provision. Earlier in June this year, Microsoft agreed to acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:49 pm on 24 Jul

read more at Recode

New Play Store algorithm cuts app updates' sizes

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:05 am on 24 Jul 2016,Sunday

Google has introduced a new Play Store algorithm that would let developers reduce the size of their apps' updates. It said that 98% apps make changes only to their APK files while updating, and added that the algorithm will make such updates up to 50% smaller. Moreover, Google Play will start displaying actual download sizes, instead of APK file sizes.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:05 am on 24 Jul

read more at Engadget

"Cloud shift" will affect $1 tn by 2020: Gartner

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:49 am on 24 Jul 2016,Sunday

The shift to cloud computing will directly or indirectly affect over $1 trillion in IT spending by 2020, American research and advisory firm Gartner said. This will make cloud computing one of the most disruptive forces of IT spending, it added. The aggregate amount in 2016 is estimated to touch $111 billion, increasing to $216 billion in 2020.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:49 am on 24 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

Journalist found playing Pokémon at US briefing

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:04 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

A journalist was found playing mobile game Pokémon Go during a US government briefing on the Islamic State on Thursday. The state department spokesman John Kirby in the middle of his briefing asked the journalist, "You’re playing the Pokémon thing right there, aren’t you?" to which the journalist responded, “I’m just keeping an eye on it.”

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:04 pm on 23 Jul

read more at YouTube

Star Wars themed drones that shoot laser made

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:01 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

London-based toymaker Propel RC has launched a lineup of four hand-painted laser shooting drones inspired from sci-fi movie 'Star Wars'. The remote-controlled drones can fly at speeds of 80 kmph and perform mid-air stunts like backflips and 360-degree rotations. The drone lineup includes an X-Wing, a Millennium Falcon, a TIE Fighter and a 74-Z speeder bike.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:01 pm on 23 Jul

read more at Mashable

Apple, FB helped track KickassTorrents creator

short by Vani Vivek / 09:01 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

According to the criminal complaint filed against KickassTorrents' alleged creator Artem Vaulin, his Apple ID and Facebook page helped authorities find him. Vaulin was operating a KickassTorrents Facebook page using an email ID which had also been used to make an iTunes purchase and operate a Bitcoin wallet. The IP address behind the Apple ID helped investigators track Vaulin down.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:01 pm on 23 Jul

read more at Engadget

US company develops off-road wheelchair

short by Satyaki Das / 09:01 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

US firm Howe and Howe Technologies has unveiled the Ripchair 3.0, an off-road vehicle designed for wheelchair users. The Ripchair is completely customisable, with left and right-handed electronic controls and add-ons like cup holders, fishing rod holders and gun racks. The off-road wheelchair features a 29 HP 4-stroke engine and reaches top speeds of 16 kmph.

short by Satyaki Das / 09:01 pm on 23 Jul

read more at YouTube

Solar Power Tree launched in Delhi

short by Vani Vivek / 08:42 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

The Union Ministry of Science and Technology, on Friday launched a ‘Solar Power Tree’ in Delhi to generate electricity in a limited space. The minister said that the tree takes 4 square feet to generate 5 kW of power compared to 400 square feet of land required conventionally. The tree has a battery backup of 2 hours under full load.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:42 pm on 23 Jul

read more at The Financial Express

Moto Z is Motorola at top of its game: Engadget

short by Vani Vivek / 08:32 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

Lenovo’s modular phones Moto Z and Moto Z Force, which will release in US on July 28 at $624 and $720 respectively, are "the best-made devices in Motorola's history", said Engadget. Verge said the phones "are unique... fun... a little gimmicky". "If you're not interested in snapping on an extra battery... or speaker, then skip the Moto Z", wrote CNET.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:32 pm on 23 Jul

read more at YouTube

Union Bank of India reports cyber breach

short by Vani Vivek / 08:29 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

Union Bank of India on Friday said one of its offshore accounts was breached in a cyber attack but the money trail had been traced and the movement of funds had been blocked. Chairman Arun Tiwari said the bank had already recovered 70% of the amount transferred in the breach and the rest would be retrieved in a few days.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:29 pm on 23 Jul

read more at Reuters

Startup's $99 accessory turns phone to a laptop

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:16 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

US-based startup Andromium has developed a $99 accessory called 'The Superbook' that claims to turn any Android smartphone into a laptop. The accessory, a laptop shell, provides a screen, keyboard, multi-touch trackpad, phone charging capabilities and eight hours of battery on a single charge. It allows users to create and edit documents, run apps installed on phone and write programs.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:16 pm on 23 Jul

read more at YouTube

Rideable luggage made that travels at 13 kmph

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:40 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

US-based startup Modobag has developed a smart rideable luggage that has a top speed of 13 kmph. The luggage, which claims to get people to their destination three times faster than walking, is GPS-enabled for tracking purposes and comes with two USB charging ports. It features a padded seat, speed control settings and dual wheel braking system.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:40 pm on 23 Jul

read more at YouTube

Apple was bigger than the Russian stock market in 2014

short by Satyaki Das / 07:38 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

In November 2014, Apple surpassed the market cap of the Russian stock market for the first time. The value of Russian equities had slumped to $531 billion, while Apple's valuation had risen to $652 billion. The gap in capital was reportedly enough to buy an iPhone for every Russian individual. Apple was named as the world's favourite company on Friday.

short by Satyaki Das / 07:38 pm on 23 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

Man makes iPhone case to catch Pokémon better

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:22 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

A man named Jon Cleaver has made a custom 3D printed iPhone 6 case called 'Pokéball Aimer' that helps Pokémon Go mobile game players to catch Pokémon better. The mobile game requires users to aim the 'Poké Ball' on a Pokémon to catch them. The case ensures that users' fingers do not go sideways and aim directly at the Pokémon.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:22 pm on 23 Jul

read more at The Verge

Celebrity emails hacker gets 6 months in prison

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:05 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

Andrew Helton, who was pleaded guilty in March for hacking emails of 13 people including celebrities and stealing 161 nude and explicit photos, has been sentenced to six months in prison by a US court. His prison term will be followed by two years of supervised release. Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence was one of the victims of Helton's hacking.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:05 pm on 23 Jul

read more at Engadget

New mobile case can run Android on iPhones

short by Satyaki Das / 06:01 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

Chinese firm Haimawan has launched a custom case that allows iPhone users to run Android OS on their smartphones. The MESUIT case runs a custom Android OS via an app that lets users switch from iOS, and comes with an external battery pack and 16 GB of external storage. Currently the MESUIT case is only available for sale in China.

short by Satyaki Das / 06:01 pm on 23 Jul

read more at The Verge

WikiLeaks publishes over 19,000 DNC emails

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:53 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

WikiLeaks on Friday put online a searchable database of 19,252 emails and 8,034 attachments sent to and from top figures in the US Democratic National Committee (DNC). Many of these emails contain personal and financial information of citizens. WikiLeaks hasn’t identified the source of the leak but it says the leak is "part one of our new Hillary Leaks series."

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:53 pm on 23 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Japan once shipped Apple products in freezer vans

short by Abhishek Bansal / 02:17 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

Due to Apple's low recognition in Japan around the 1980s, refrigerated trucks were sometimes used to deliver shipments of Apple computers, as workers thought that the boxes contained perishable fruit. The country now accounts for about 8% of the tech-giant's annual revenue. Notably, Apple was named the world's favourite company on FutureBrand's annual 'Global Top 100 Companies' list on Friday.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 02:17 pm on 23 Jul

read more at Google

Technique reconstructs 3D eyes from single photo

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:14 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

Disney Research has engineered a new 3D technique that can capture subtle details of the eyes and reconstruct it using a single facial scan or photo. The method employs a parametric model based on a database of 30 eyes which can be used to duplicate the details of an actor's eyes and can be manipulated to accommodate a story line.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:14 pm on 23 Jul

Last known VCR manufacturer to cease production

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:10 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

Japan-based Funai Electric, the last-known videocassette recorders (VCR) manufacturer, recently announced that it will cease VCR production in July, Nikkei Asian Review reported. The company once peaked at 15 million units annually, but sold only 750,000 last year. VCRs were first introduced in 1950s and became widely popular in 1970s when tech giants like Sony and Philips entered the domain.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:10 pm on 23 Jul

read more at The Guardian

Siri was initially meant for Android phones

short by Sanira Mediratta / 12:48 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

In 2009, the startup that made the personal assistant Siri, had signed a deal with communication technology company Verizon, to make Siri a default application on all Android smartphones. The company also reportedly created commercials touting the tool as an Android add-on. However, Apple bought Siri in 2010, ending its association with Android and making it exclusive to iOS products.

short by Sanira Mediratta / 12:48 pm on 23 Jul

read more at Google

Pokémon Go breaks 1st-week iOS downloads record

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:26 pm on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

According to a TechCrunch report, Apple has confirmed that 'Pokémon Go' had more number of downloads during its first week on the App Store than any other app ever. The game, which has been rolled out in 26 countries since its launch on July 6, has helped Nintendo more than double its market value to around $40 billion.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:26 pm on 23 Jul

read more at Engadget

Chinese firm warns staff against buying iPhone 7

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:21 am on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

China-based Hangzhou Bina Industrial Technology Company is reportedly threatening to fire its employees if they buy the new iPhone 7, amid allegations that Apple programmers could be 'anti-Chinese'. The company has posted a notice in its offices titled 'Patriotism' for its 50-strong workforce. It has also instructed its employees to trade in their existing iPhone handsets for China-made phones.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:21 am on 23 Jul

read more at Daily Mail

Video explains how Jeff Bezos built Amazon

short by Vani Vivek / 09:59 am on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

A documentary by Bloomberg describes how Jeff Bezos used his 'get big fast' mantra to build Amazon. It tracks the company's growth since its inception, also explaining how Amazon survived the dot-com bubble in 2000 and posted profits for the first time in 2002. Jeff Bezos overtook Warren Buffett on Friday to become the third richest person in the world.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:59 am on 23 Jul

read more at YouTube

Apple named the world's favourite company

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:46 am on 23 Jul 2016,Saturday

Apple has regained the status as the world's favourite company on FutureBrand's annual 'Global Top 100 Companies' list after losing it to Google last year. Microsoft and Samsung were ranked second and third respectively. The list also includes Facebook, Amazon, Nike and Intel. Interestingly, Google's holding company Alphabet ranks 21st on the list.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:46 am on 23 Jul

read more at Mashable

Selena Gomez social media posts worth $550k each

short by Vani Vivek / 11:27 pm on 22 Jul 2016,Friday

According to social media analytics company D’Marie, posts by singer Selena Gomez on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are worth $550,000 each. This valuation is drawn from an algorithm with 56 metrics including followers, quality of post, and potential to create sales conversions. The company says Gomez's social media audience is expanding by an average of 200,000 followers daily.

short by Vani Vivek / 11:27 pm on 22 Jul

read more at The Verge

WikiLeaks threatens Twitter to start rival site

short by Vani Vivek / 11:05 pm on 22 Jul 2016,Friday

WikiLeaks on Friday posted on Twitter that it will start a rival service because of “cyber feudalism”. This comes after Twitter banned Milo Yiannopoulos, technology editor of a news site, for allegedly leading an online troll against Ghostbusters actress Leslie Jones. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey replied saying, "We don't ban people for expressing their thoughts. Targeted abuse... is not allowed".

short by Vani Vivek / 11:05 pm on 22 Jul

read more at The Financial Express

App swaps user's face into their search results

short by Satyaki Das / 11:01 pm on 22 Jul 2016,Friday

A US researcher has developed 'Dreambit', a face-swapping search engine app. The app allows users to click and upload a selfie and searches for images matching the user's search term, like "curly hair". It then looks for images where the subject’s face is positioned similar to the user's face, and returns the images with the user's face swapped on.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:01 pm on 22 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

US man claims to have caught all Pokémon

short by Satyaki Das / 10:30 pm on 22 Jul 2016,Friday

A Pokémon Go player claims to have caught all 142 currently available Pokémon in Pokémon GO. The New York City-based user revealed he walked 153.2 km while hunting Pokémon. The original game advertised 151 Pokémon, but no user has claimed to find any of the nine remaining Pokémon including Mewtwo, Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:30 pm on 22 Jul

read more at Google

Startup makes ink that conducts electricity

short by Vani Vivek / 10:12 pm on 22 Jul 2016,Friday

Japanese startup AgIC has developed a pen called 'Circuit Marker' which uses a silver quick drying ink that conducts electricity. The pen allows users to draw electric circuits that can withstand up to 100 volts and power LEDs and motors. Priced at $14.99, the Circuit Marker is to be used on a special electronics-embedded paper which costs $37.49.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:12 pm on 22 Jul

read more at Reuters

7-Eleven makes 1st home delivery by drone in US

short by Vani Vivek / 10:09 pm on 22 Jul 2016,Friday

Convenience store 7-Eleven on Thursday announced to have completed the first fully autonomous drone delivery to a customer's residence approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration. The company had teamed up with Flirtey, an independent drone delivery service, to conduct the delivery in Nevada in celebration of 7-Eleven's 89th birthday on July 10.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:09 pm on 22 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Apple launches Olympic-themed Watch bands at $49

short by Vani Vivek / 06:58 pm on 22 Jul 2016,Friday

Apple will be selling flag-themed bands for its Watch for $49 during the Olympic Games in Rio starting August. The woven-nylon bands will be available for 14 countries including USA, Brazil, and New Zealand. The bands can be purchased exclusively from the Apple Store in Barra da Tijuca, a neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro's west zone.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:58 pm on 22 Jul

Snowden makes iPhone case that alerts on spying

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:09 pm on 22 Jul 2016,Friday

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has co-designed an iPhone case 'Introspection Engine' that alerts users when their smartphones are being monitored. It alerts users when a cellular, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection is being used to share or receive data. The case, which can also provide extra battery to the phone, shows the status of the phone's data on a monochromatic display.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:09 pm on 22 Jul

read more at The Guardian

KickassTorrents clone websites surface online

short by Vani Vivek / 05:59 pm on 22 Jul 2016,Friday

A day after popular torrent site 'KickassTorrents' was taken offline by US authorities, two clone sites have been spotted. One of the clones has been created by a member of torrent site 'IsoHunt' and the other is located at KAT.am. Both websites encourage visitors to sign a petition to help free Artem Vaulin, the alleged KickassTorrents creator who was arrested.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:59 pm on 22 Jul

read more at The Verge

I am proud to be gay: PayPal Co-founder Thiel

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:36 pm on 22 Jul 2016,Friday

PayPal Co-founder Peter Thiel at the Republican National Convention on Thursday said, "I am proud to be gay. I'm proud to be a Republican. But most of all I'm proud to be an American.” Supporting Republican candidate Donald Trump, Thiel said, "I’m not a politician. But neither is Donald Trump. He is a builder, and it’s time to rebuild America.”

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:36 pm on 22 Jul

read more at The Guardian

FB's solar plane Aquila completes first flight

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:14 pm on 22 Jul 2016,Friday

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday announced the first successful flight of the company's solar-powered plane 'Aquila'. The plane is designed to beam internet to remote parts of the world. It has the wingspan of an airliner but weighs less than a small car and flies on roughly the power of three blow dryers.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:14 pm on 22 Jul

read more at YouTube

Beijing announces 'waterlogged' status in maps

short by Yash Kumar / 07:29 am on 22 Jul 2016,Friday

Beijing Traffic Management Bureau has collaborated with digital map and navigation firm Autonavi, and Baidu map service to inform the public of more detailed traffic conditions including alerts on waterlogged places and storms. This comes after Beijing raised its storm alert to orange, the second-highest level in China's four-tier warning system for severe weather.

short by Yash Kumar / 07:29 am on 22 Jul

read more at Reuters

France orders Microsoft to stop tracking users

short by Vani Vivek / 11:38 pm on 21 Jul 2016,Thursday

The French data protection authority CNIL on Wednesday ordered Microsoft to "stop collecting excessive user data and tracking browsing" of Windows 10 users without their consent. Among other security lapses, CNIL highlighted that there is no limit on the number of attempts to guess the users' online access PIN. Microsoft has been given three months to comply with the orders.

short by Vani Vivek / 11:38 pm on 21 Jul

read more at The Guardian

Facebook allows interaction with World War 1 soldier

short by Satyaki Das / 09:19 pm on 21 Jul 2016,Thursday

News Corp Australia has launched a chatbot on Facebook Messenger that allows users to interact with Tasmanian soldier Archie Barwick, who fought in World War I. The bot is designed to relate Barwick's experiences from his diary entries and follows his actual movements and locations throughout the battle. The bot's answers are programmed to improve the more people ask questions.

short by Satyaki Das / 09:19 pm on 21 Jul

read more at Mashable

Amazon aims to use lampposts to charge drones

short by Satyaki Das / 08:51 pm on 21 Jul 2016,Thursday

E-commerce platform Amazon on Thursday patented a 'Multi-use UAV docking station system', aiming to convert existing city infrastructure like street lamps into charging stations for delivery drones. The patent suggests that the docking stations besides increasing a drone's flying range, will allow a drone to land, avoid bad weather, drop off and pick up packages, and even provide Wi-Fi hotspots.

short by Satyaki Das / 08:51 pm on 21 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Pokéball-shaped phone chargers available at $40

short by Vani Vivek / 08:48 pm on 21 Jul 2016,Thursday

An online shop listed on e-commerce website Etsy is selling hand-made Pokéball-themed USB power banks for $40. The red and white charger encloses a 5,300 mAh battery and comes with clasps to attach it to belt loops and backpacks. The San Francisco-based shop owner says the idea came to her when her phone's battery kept draining while playing Pokémon Go.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:48 pm on 21 Jul

read more at The Next Web

Video lists 10 rarest Pokémon to catch

short by Sanira Mediratta / 08:34 pm on 21 Jul 2016,Thursday

A six-minute video lists the ten rarest Pokémon to catch on the augmented reality game Pokémon Go. According to the video by YouTube channel 'MostAmazingTop10', the Psychic-type mythical and legendary Mew, is the rarest Pokémon that can be found in the game. The list also includes the Dragon-type Dratini, the Electric-type Electabuzz, and the Fire-type Moltres.

short by Sanira Mediratta / 08:34 pm on 21 Jul

read more at YouTube

SoftBank-Honda partner to develop 'talking car'

short by Satyaki Das / 07:02 pm on 21 Jul 2016,Thursday

SoftBank on Thursday said it was partnering with automaker Honda to develop 'talking cars' that can read drivers' emotions with the help of SoftBank's humanoid robotic technology. SoftBank described a future where Honda cars could interact with drivers, helping them park or offering company on long trips. The announcement comes after SoftBank agreed to buy British chip designer ARM Holdings.

short by Satyaki Das / 07:02 pm on 21 Jul

read more at Reuters

Live-action movie based on Pokémon to be made

short by Daisy Mowke / 06:54 pm on 21 Jul 2016,Thursday

The rights for a live-action film which will be based on popular Pokémon games have been acquired by Legendary Pictures. The film will revolve around a character in the Pokemon universe, 'Detective Pikachu', which was introduced in a game that came out in Japan earlier this year. The screenplay will reportedly be penned by Max Landis, who wrote 'Power Rangers'.

short by Daisy Mowke / 06:54 pm on 21 Jul

FB Messenger reaches 1 bn monthly active users

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:29 pm on 21 Jul 2016,Thursday

Facebook on Wednesday announced that its Messenger service has crossed the one billion monthly active users mark. Launched in 2011, the service had passed 900 million monthly active users in April, three months after crossing 800 million monthly active users. The company also claimed that 10% of all online (VoIP) calls made globally take place within Messenger.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:29 pm on 21 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

Google awards Indian for fishermen safety system

short by Vani Vivek / 04:54 pm on 21 Jul 2016,Thursday

Advay Ramesh from Chennai has won Google's Community Impact Award in Asia for creating a mobile GPS to keep fishermen safe from crossing international maritime boundaries. The 14-year-old will receive $1,000 in scholarship to further develop the FishErmen Lifeline Terminal (FELT) system. Ramesh is among 20 finalists shortlisted to compete for a $50,000 scholarship at the Google Science Fair 2016.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:54 pm on 21 Jul

read more at Google Blog

TripAdvisor lists Pokémon Go vacation homes

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 04:53 pm on 21 Jul 2016,Thursday

TripAdvisor has listed vacation homes close to potential Pokémon Go hotspots, where gamers can encounter wild Pokémons during their stay. The travel company has suggested waterside properties, such as the Ullswater Far Boathouse in England, for gamers looking for water-type Pokémons. Further, it has suggested that gamers try the Moonrakers home in England for grass-type Pokémons.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 04:53 pm on 21 Jul

read more at Daily Mail

Elon Musk reveals Tesla 'Master Plan'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:50 pm on 21 Jul 2016,Thursday

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday unveiled plans to expand the company into car-sharing, electric trucks, buses and solar energy systems. The car-sharing feature would let Tesla owners add their cars to the Tesla shared fleet to generate income when their cars are not in use. Musk also announced that the electric trucks and buses will be unveiled next year.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:50 pm on 21 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Teal unveils world's fastest production drone

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:26 pm on 21 Jul 2016,Thursday

US-based startup, Teal has unveiled what it claims is the world's fastest production drone. It can fly at speeds up to 112 kmph, has a two-mile range and 20-minute flight time and can withstand winds traveling at 64 kmph. The $1299-drone features a 13 MP 4K camera and offers built-in apps for controlled flying, racing and follow mode.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:26 pm on 21 Jul

read more at Engadget

Google uses AI to cut down on power consumption

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:48 pm on 21 Jul 2016,Thursday

Google is using its DeepMind Artificial Intelligence (AI) subsidiary to cut down the power consumed by its data centers, a DeepMind Co-founder said. The AI controls how equipment runs inside the data centers to get the most efficient electricity consumption. The technique showed to cut the overall energy consumption by 15% and cooling cost by 40%, the company said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:48 pm on 21 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

KickassTorrents goes offline, founder arrested

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:13 pm on 21 Jul 2016,Thursday

The US government has arrested Artem Vaulin, the alleged founder of the torrent site 'KickassTorrents'. He has been charged with criminal copyright infringement, conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The service, which went live in 2008, is reportedly the 69th most frequently visited website and gets over 50 million unique hits per month.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:13 pm on 21 Jul

read more at The Next Web

Bill Gates hacked software for class only with girls

short by Vani Vivek / 11:17 pm on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Microsoft Co-founder Paul Allen revealed in his memoir that Bill Gates “preloaded” himself into a class with a dozen girls and no other boys by hacking the school software. Bill Gates later confirmed by adding, "But I was below average in talking to girls". The software giant Microsoft was founded by the two in 1975.

short by Vani Vivek / 11:17 pm on 20 Jul

read more at Google

Neymar loses Zuckerberg’s keepie-uppie challenge

short by Saloni Tandon / 10:36 pm on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Brazil forward Neymar lost Mark Zuckerberg’s keepie-uppie challenge on Facebook's messenger, scoring 29. Zuckerberg, who scored 37 in the mobile game which requires the player to keep the ball in air by tapping, had challenged Neymar to beat his score. Neymar further challenged F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, besides asking Zuckerberg to “play it out for real on the field”.

short by Saloni Tandon / 10:36 pm on 20 Jul

read more at Facebook

Windows wallpaper was shot on way to meet girlfriend

short by Rahul Raj / 09:58 pm on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Famous Windows XP desktop wallpaper was clicked by Charles O'Rear, a former National Geographic photographer, in 1996 while driving up Napa Valley to meet his girlfriend in San Francisco. Microsoft contacted O'Rear in 2000 to get ownership of 'Bliss', the photograph. The software giant claims the photograph has been seen by over a billion people.

short by Rahul Raj / 09:58 pm on 20 Jul

read more at YouTube

World's first Pokémon Go dating service launches

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:07 pm on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Claimed to be the world's first dating service for Pokémon Go mobile game players, 'PokéDates' on Wednesday launched in US with tagline 'Gotta catch 'em all, together!'. After answering a few questions about their 'PokéMate', the users' 'PokéProfiles' are reviewed by specialists. Based on their schedule, users get suggestions about the people with whom they can explore and battle Pokémon.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:07 pm on 20 Jul

read more at The Verge

Saudi clerical body renews fatwa against Pokémon

short by Parichit Mainra / 08:15 pm on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Saudi Arabia's highest religious body has reportedly renewed a 15-year-old fatwa against the Pokémon game franchise calling it 'un-Islamic' and said it promotes Zionism and gambling. Saudi's Mufti asked children not to play Pokémon games in order to "protect their religion." The renewed fatwa, originally issued in 2001 against Pokémon card games, does not mention the new Pokémon Go game.

short by Parichit Mainra / 08:15 pm on 20 Jul

read more at Reuters

Google app lets users take virtual museum tours

short by Vani Vivek / 06:50 pm on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Google on Tuesday unveiled its 'Arts & Culture' app that lets users explore artworks and take 360 degree tours of museums, heritage sites, and landmarks via Google Cardboard. Users can discover artwork by time period, historical figures, and even by colour. By pointing their phone camera to a painting, users will be able to find more information about it.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:50 pm on 20 Jul

read more at YouTube

Pokémon Go Japan launch delayed after email leak

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:44 pm on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

The maker of mobile game Pokémon Go, Niantic had postponed Wednesday’s scheduled launch of the game in Japan following an email leak. An email from the game’s sponsor, McDonald's Japan, reportedly went viral on internet forums detailing Pokémon Go's launch. The game is now expected to be launched in Japan on Thursday.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:44 pm on 20 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

China top country in iOS games revenue

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:09 pm on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

China has surpassed the US and Japan to become the number one country in iOS games revenue, according to a recent report by market researcher App Annie. The report mentioned that the Games category attributed to about 75% of all iOS revenue. Overall, the US, China and Japan account for 75% of games revenue on iOS, the report added.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:09 pm on 20 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

Facebook demos way to offer laser-based internet

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:15 pm on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Facebook has showcased laser-based wireless communication system that can deliver speeds up to 2 Gbps. It uses fluorescent materials instead of traditional optics to collect light and concentrate it onto small photodetectors. Since the fibers don't emit the same color they're absorbing, brighter light can be aimed at the detectors. This can help in providing wireless connectivity to remote areas.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:15 pm on 20 Jul

read more at Engadget

Custom Google Map displays Pokémons' locations

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:56 pm on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

A project listed in a subreddit dedicated to developers playing Pokémon Go revealed that a developer, reportedly named Ahmed Almutawa, has created a custom Google map that shows all the nearby pokémons. The code has been posted on GitHub and requires step-by-step instructions for installation. For this, Almutawa pulled raw data including gym and pokémon locations out of the game.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:56 pm on 20 Jul

read more at The Verge

Microsoft posts $3.1 bn profit in June quarter

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 01:39 pm on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Microsoft on Tuesday reported a net income of $3.1 billion for the quarter ended June, as against the loss of $3.2 billion in the year-ago period. However, its revenue dipped to $20.6 billion from $22.2 billion on a year-on-year basis. Further, the tech firm closed its fiscal year with a 38% rise in its net income to $16.8 billion.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 01:39 pm on 20 Jul

read more at Google

China bans highway testing of autonomous cars

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:11 pm on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

China has banned highway testing of self-driving cars until the rules governing the testing of autonomous cars go into effect. According to a new report by Bloomberg, the country's auto industry regulator is already working with police to create these rules. This comes after Germany announced that it is drafting legislation that would place "black boxes" in self-driving vehicles.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:11 pm on 20 Jul

read more at Engadget

Court notice to Google for listing Modi as criminal

short by Ankur Vyas / 12:37 pm on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

An Allahabad court on Tuesday reportedly served a notice to Google for listing, in a search result, Prime Minister Narendra Modi among the top 10 criminals in the world. According to Times of India, the court also ordered registration of a criminal complaint against Google and its top officials. However, Google had apologised for the search result in June 2015.

short by Ankur Vyas / 12:37 pm on 20 Jul

Twitter announces account verification process

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:57 am on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Twitter on Tuesday announced that it has created an application process for accounts to receive verified status. For verification, accounts should have all the verified details and should provide the company with a government-issued ID. After getting verified, users will get a blue check mark on their profile to let people know that an account of public interest is authentic.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:57 am on 20 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Golfer introduces world's 1st golf cart jetpack

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:09 am on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

American golfer and the current World number six, Gerry Lester "Bubba" Watson and California-based sports equipment manufacturer Oakley recently introduced what they claim is the world's first golf cart jetpack. The vehicle, which was introduced to celebrate the return of golf to the Olympics after 112 years, can attain heights of 3,000 feet with air speeds up to 74 kmph.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:09 am on 20 Jul

read more at YouTube

Brazil orders indefinite block on WhatsApp

short by Vani Vivek / 09:00 am on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

A Brazilian judge on Tuesday ordered phone carriers to block access to Whatsapp, following the company's refusal to comply with a previous court order to reveal user information. Temporary blackouts were ordered against Whatsapp twice since December, but were overturned by higher courts. Whatsapp CEO has posted on Facebook saying, "We are being asked for information we don't have".

short by Vani Vivek / 09:00 am on 20 Jul

read more at Reuters

Neymar accepts Zuckerberg's keepie-uppie challenge

short by Dishant Sharma / 12:31 am on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Brazilian footballer Neymar Jr accepted Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's challenge to better his score in the keepie-uppie app game available in the Facebook messenger. Zuckerberg posted a score of 37 straight juggles in the game, which he challenged the Brazil and Barcelona forward to try and beat.

short by Dishant Sharma / 12:31 am on 20 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

Uber to get detailed hi-res satellite imagery

short by Rahul Raj / 12:27 am on 20 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Uber on Tuesday announced a partnership with a satellite imaging company DigitalGlobe to get high resolution satellite imagery for its services. The detailed photos can reveal changing topography of modern cities with clarity and immediacy which helps in navigation and route planning. DigitalGlobe offers its imagery services to Apple, Google and the US government.

short by Rahul Raj / 12:27 am on 20 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Yahoo put ‘!’ in name to set apart from barbecue sauce

short by Vani Vivek / 11:03 pm on 19 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Yahoo founders used an exclamation mark in the brand name because 'Yahoo' had previously been used for knives, canoes and barbecue sauce. The company's logo still retains the punctuation, and in its latest revision in 2013 the exclamation mark was further tilted by nine degrees. On Monday, Yahoo posted a net loss of over $400 million for the last quarter.

short by Vani Vivek / 11:03 pm on 19 Jul

read more at Google

Snapchat enables sending Bitmoji stickers in chats

short by Rahul Raj / 10:47 pm on 19 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Snapchat announced on Tuesday that users can now send their Bitmoji to each other in chats or snaps. Users can link their Bitmoji accounts in Snapchat, with their avatars appearing ready to use. If a user doesn't have Bitmoji, an account can be created directly within the app. Snapchat acquired Bitstrips last March for a reported sum of $100 million.

short by Rahul Raj / 10:47 pm on 19 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Drone designed to detect and detonate land mines

short by Vani Vivek / 10:33 pm on 19 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Netherlands-based Mine Kafon Foundation has designed a drone that can be used to map, detect, and detonate landmines from a safe distance. The drone's aerial 3D mapping system identifies dangerous areas and geotags the detected mines. A robotic gripping arm attached to the drone places a detonator on the mines that can be set off using a timer.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:33 pm on 19 Jul

read more at Campaign

Smart tag launched to track keys, wallets at ₹1k

short by Vani Vivek / 10:23 pm on 19 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Bengaluru-based startup Gida has launched 'Yoky Tag', a smart device priced at ₹1,000 that can be attached to keys or wallets to track them using Bluetooth. Conversely, users can also find their phones by shaking the tag thrice. The tags have a maximum range of 250 feet and beep loudly if the tagged belongings go out of range.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:23 pm on 19 Jul

Xiaomi's ₹1 flash sale in India from July 20-22

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:03 pm on 19 Jul 2016,Tuesday

To celebrate the second anniversary of its India launch, Xiaomi is organising a flash sale from July 20-22 where select items will be available at ₹1 from 2 pm on the company's website. Xiaomi products including Mi 5, Mi Power Bank, Redmi Note 3, Mi Band, Mi Max and Mi Bluetooth Speaker will be sold during the sale.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:03 pm on 19 Jul

read more at NextBigWhat

Sea slug muscle used to create 'biohybrid' robot

short by Vani Vivek / 07:10 pm on 19 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Researchers have combined muscles from a sea slug's mouth with flexible 3D printed body parts to build 'biohybrid' robots. The benefits of using slug muscles is that they are adaptable to saline environments and can perform lengthier tasks than traditional robots that use batteries. Swarms of such 'biohybrids' could potentially be released to search the ocean floor for black boxes.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:10 pm on 19 Jul

read more at The Verge

Android creator was nicknamed 'Android' while at Apple

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:08 pm on 19 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Andy Rubin, one of the Co-founders of Android, was given the nickname 'Android' by his co-workers because of his love for robots while he was working at Apple back in 1989. Rubin co-founded Android in 2003 and sold it to Google in 2005, which on Tuesday released the final developer preview of the upcoming Android version – 'Android Nougat'.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:08 pm on 19 Jul

read more at Google

Samsung's Olympics-themed phone on sale for $850

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:07 pm on 19 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Samsung has launched its Galaxy S7 Edge Olympic Games Limited Edition at $850. The company said that it would sell only 2,016 units of the device around the world, and will offer it for free to all the 12,500 Rio Olympics participants. The phone features a yellow-trimmed fingerprint sensor and speaker, red and green buttons, and blue-tinted Olympics rings and camera.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:07 pm on 19 Jul

read more at Engadget

Google releases final Android Nougat Preview

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:04 pm on 19 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Google on Monday released the fifth and final developer preview of the upcoming mobile operating system 'Android Nougat'. The preview, which is available for Nexus and Pixel devices, includes system images for preview devices and an emulator for the final testing of apps. "This preview gives developers the near-final system updates for all of the supported preview devices", Google said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:04 pm on 19 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

5,000 people gather to catch Pokémon in Chicago

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:44 pm on 19 Jul 2016,Tuesday

About 5,000 people gathered at Chicago's Millennium Park on Sunday to attend an event being claimed as the first ever meet up regarding the mobile game Pokémon Go. Teenagers, artists, cosplayers, young adults and families with children spent a couple of hours at the park catching Pokémon. The event was created on Facebook by a 24-year-old computer technician in Chicago.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:44 pm on 19 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Geneva's new electric buses charge in 15 seconds

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:08 pm on 19 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Switzerland's Geneva has approved a dozen electric buses which come with a 'flash charging' technology that recharges the buses in 15 seconds. In this time, the buses receive 600-kilowatts of energy, enough to get the buses to the next station. Developed by ABB at a cost of $16 million, the buses will connect Geneva airport with a new suburb.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:08 pm on 19 Jul

read more at Autoblog

OnePlus popup stores let users experience new devices

short by Abhishek Bansal / 03:52 pm on 19 Jul 2016,Tuesday

After the launch of the OnePlus3 last month, the company opened its offline popup stores to let customers experience the OnePlus3 in person. People reportedly waited for 8-10 hours to experience the device, particularly the latest "Dash Charge" technology which charges 60% of the battery in 30 minutes. The stores, opened in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, witnessed over 800 attendees.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 03:52 pm on 19 Jul

read more at Google

Google deletes 14-year-old blog without warning

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:54 pm on 19 Jul 2016,Tuesday

American author Dennis Cooper recently claimed that Google has deleted his blog which he had maintained for 14 years, without warning. Cooper reportedly updated his blog six times a week, which also had an unfinished novel that he was working on for seven months. He said his lawyer talked multiple times to Google's lawyer, but hasn't got any response yet.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:54 pm on 19 Jul

read more at The Guardian

Facebook launches new app-install ad tool

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:34 pm on 19 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Facebook on Monday launched a new tool called App Event Optimization, which will enable advertisers to target those users who will not only install their applications but will use them as well. The tool works by letting developers choose their targeted in-app events, which lets them reach those who are more likely to use the services offered in the apps.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:34 pm on 19 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Densest storage system encodes 1 KB in 100 nm

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:32 pm on 19 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Netherlands-based researchers have created a microscopic storage system that can encode every bit on a single atom. Claimed as the densest storage system, the new development can store a kilobyte in under 100 nanometers – equivalent to about 500 TB per square inch. Every bit consists of two positions on a surface of copper atoms, representing 1s and 0s.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:32 pm on 19 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Nintendo's market value surpasses that of Sony

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:06 pm on 19 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Nintendo's market value on Tuesday jumped to around $39 billion, surpassing that of Sony by almost $3 billion, almost two weeks after Pokémon Go's release. This came after Nintendo, which holds non-majority stakes in the game developer Niantic and publisher The Pokemon Company, traded $4.5 billion on Friday, setting a record for the biggest daily turnover in Japan this century.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:06 pm on 19 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

Yahoo once rejected offer to buy Google for $5bn

short by Sanira Mediratta / 11:54 am on 19 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Yahoo had rejected an offer to buy Google for $5 billion in 2002, when the then CEO Terry Semel refused the deal after months of negotiation. Yahoo initially made a $3 billion offer, but walked out after Google made a counter-offer of $5 billion. After Google's reorganisation, parent company Alphabet's valuation is about $730 billion while Yahoo's is $35 billion.

short by Sanira Mediratta / 11:54 am on 19 Jul

read more at Google

Startup designs weather sensor to aid farmers

short by Vani Vivek / 11:20 pm on 18 Jul 2016,Monday

US-based startup Arable has developed Pulsepod, a solar powered crop and weather sensor to reduce agricultural risks. The device measures rainfall, crop water demand, light and heat levels, and even the colour of berries to determine harvest-readiness of the crops. Farmers are reportedly already using Arable’s hardware and cloud-based software to calculate harvest timing and potential yield.

short by Vani Vivek / 11:20 pm on 18 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

An asteroid is named after an Intel chip

short by Satyaki Das / 10:14 pm on 18 Jul 2016,Monday

American chipmaker Intel's 8080 microprocessor has an asteroid named after it. In 1987, the CERGA Observatory named a Caussols main belt asteroid "8080 Intel" in honour of the 1974 invention, which was the first 8-bit processor, that soon became the industry standard. The leading chip manufacturer in the world, Intel was founded in California on 18th July, 1968.

short by Satyaki Das / 10:14 pm on 18 Jul

read more at Google

Mandela phones launched for African children

short by Vani Vivek / 10:14 pm on 18 Jul 2016,Monday

On the occasion of Nelson Mandela's birth anniversary on Monday, Long Walk to Freedom Foundation has partnered with phone manufacturer AG Mobile to launch a range of mobiles and tablets. The range of devices come pre-installed with content on the life of the former South African President. The Freedom2Learn campaign urges people to donate these devices to African children.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:14 pm on 18 Jul

read more at The Financial Express

Pichai responds to tax accusations on Google

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:09 pm on 18 Jul 2016,Monday

Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Sunday responded to the accusations of Google failing to pay taxes in Europe. Pichai said that Google has "invested heavily" in Europe and employed over 14,000 people of the continent. He further said that it is a challenge for a multinational company to come to terms with different laws and regulations in each country.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:09 pm on 18 Jul

read more at Daily Mail

Opera browser's $1.24 bn takeover deal fails

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:51 pm on 18 Jul 2016,Monday

Opera web browser on Monday announced that a $1.24 billion deal by a Chinese consortium to take over the company has collapsed after failing to win regulatory approval. Opera said that parts of its consumer business will now be acquired by the Kunqi consortium in a $600 million deal. The failed deal has sent Opera's shares to a seven-month low.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:51 pm on 18 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

OurMine claims attacking Pokémon Go servers

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:41 pm on 18 Jul 2016,Monday

Hacker outfit OurMine has claimed attacking the servers of Pokémon Go, making players unable to log in to the mobile game. OurMine said, “No one will be able to play this game till Pokemon Go contact us on our website to teach them how to protect it!” OurMine had earlier claimed hacking of Sundar Pichai's and Mark Zuckerberg's Twitter accounts.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:41 pm on 18 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

First photo was uploaded on the web in 1992

short by Rahul Raj / 04:52 pm on 18 Jul 2016,Monday

The first photo uploaded on the web is of an all-female parody pop group of CERN employees called ‘Les Horribles Cernettes’, taken on July 18, 1992. It was approximately the size of a stamp and took a minute to load. Though researchers internally shared scientific images before, this photo was the first "photo that opened the web to life."

short by Rahul Raj / 04:52 pm on 18 Jul

read more at Google

Charity releases emojis featuring the disabled

short by Rini Kapoor / 09:39 pm on 17 Jul 2016,Sunday

UK-based disability charity Scope celebrated the World Emoji Day by releasing 18 emojis featuring disabled people and Paralympic sports. According to Scope, there is just one emoji, a wheelchair-user sign, representing disability. With the release, the charity hopes to 'inspire' Unicode to "represent the disabled in a positive way", it said in a blog post.

short by Rini Kapoor / 09:39 pm on 17 Jul

read more at YouTube

Microsoft says Windows 10 user goal won't be met

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:03 pm on 17 Jul 2016,Sunday

Microsoft has admitted that it won't be able to meet its goal of getting Windows 10 on a billion devices within two to three years. “Due to focusing on our phone hardware business, it will take longer than FY18 for us to reach our goal," said a Microsoft spokesperson. Windows Chief Terry Myerson had set the goal in April 2015.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:03 pm on 17 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

3D printed gun fires 48 rubber bands in seconds

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:38 pm on 17 Jul 2016,Sunday

A 3D printing artisan named Matthew Davis has built a fully 3D printed arm-mountable gun called 'The Arcus', that can fire 48 rubber bands in seconds. All of the gun's parts are designed to snap together without any screws or glue. The Arcus uses the energy from the rubber bands that it is shooting to spin the gun's barrels.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:38 pm on 17 Jul

read more at YouTube

Twitter reveals the 10 most tweeted emojis

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:25 pm on 17 Jul 2016,Sunday

To mark the World Emoji Day, micro-blogging platform Twitter has revealed the 10 most tweeted emojis on its platform globally from mid-2015 to mid-2016. 'Face with tears of joy' was the most tweeted emoji worldwide, followed by the 'smiling face with heart eyes' and a 'weeping' emoji. Further, the 'hi-five' emoji was the most tweeted emoji in India.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:25 pm on 17 Jul

read more at Mashable

Digital art exhibition opens in Tokyo

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 06:19 pm on 17 Jul 2016,Sunday

Art collective teamLab on Saturday opened a digital art exhibition in Tokyo, Japan, which allows visitors to engage with interactive artworks. The 3,000-square-metre exhibition features a kaleidoscopic digital maze where visitors can control the intensity and hue of the lights. It also features a 'flower universe' installation into which visitors can release butterflies using their smartphones.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 06:19 pm on 17 Jul

read more at Google

India reports 1st drug trade via darknet

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:09 pm on 17 Jul 2016,Sunday

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has detected drug trafficking via darknet and Bitcoin in India for the first time. While 'darknet' is an overlay network difficult to track by the usual communications protocols, Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency that can skip legal banking channels. Effective clampdown of drug-trafficking syndicates has resulted in a 30% decline in trafficking in Punjab, NCB said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:09 pm on 17 Jul

read more at PTI

Silicon Valley startup hiring Pokémon Go experts

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:45 pm on 17 Jul 2016,Sunday

A Silicon Valley-based billion dollar startup named Thumbtack is hiring experts in mobile game Pokémon Go. The startup has launched a new 'Pokémon Go Help' category where it is providing an online marketplace for expert services in the game. The service lets users hire an expert to help them with tips and tricks to perform better in the game.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:45 pm on 17 Jul

read more at Recode

Apple starts selling smart skipping rope at $90

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:38 pm on 17 Jul 2016,Sunday

Apple's online and retail stores in some countries have started selling a smart skipping rope called 'Tangram Smart Rope' at a price of $90. Embedded with 23 LEDs, the rope displays the user's fitness data mid-air. Further, a dedicated Smart Gym Pro app shows the user's jump count, calories burned and other fitness data on the iPhone or Apple Watch.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:38 pm on 17 Jul

read more at YouTube

Google scraps standalone VR project: Reports

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:33 pm on 17 Jul 2016,Sunday

According to a Recode report, Google recently scrapped an internal project to create a standalone Virtual Reality (VR) headset similar to devices from Facebook's Oculus and HTC. The report added that a different VR project was initiated under a research subsidiary of Alphabet. Earlier, Google had released a VR platform, called DayDream, and announced plans for a standalone VR headset.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:33 pm on 17 Jul

read more at Recode

White House pledges $400 million for 5G research

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:28 am on 17 Jul 2016,Sunday

The White House has announced a $400 million Advanced Wireless Research Initiative for the development of 5G technology. The initiative, led by the National Science Foundation, aims to build four "city-scale testing platforms" over the next 10 years. Earlier, a decision was made to free up spectrum above 24 GHz, which is reportedly around 100 times faster than 4G.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:28 am on 17 Jul

read more at Engadget

Amazon Founder is the world's 4th richest person

short by Vani Vivek / 11:03 pm on 16 Jul 2016,Saturday

Jeff Bezos, CEO and Founder of Amazon.com, is currently the fourth richest person in the world with a net worth of $63.9 billion. Bezos, who launched Amazon on July 16 1995, ranks behind Bill Gates, Zara's Amancio Ortega, and Warren Buffett. The 52-year-old is also the founder of aerospace company Blue Origin and owner of Washington Post newspaper.

short by Vani Vivek / 11:03 pm on 16 Jul

read more at Forbes

Typing Relentless.com opens up Amazon's website

short by Vani Vivek / 10:11 pm on 16 Jul 2016,Saturday

Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos originally planned on naming the website 'Relentless.com' and registered the URL in September 1994, which still redirects to Amazon's website. 'Cadabra.com' was also taken into consideration but was reportedly dropped after Bezos’ lawyer mistakenly heard “cadaver". Other names suggested for the website, which was launched on July 16 1995, were 'Awake' and 'Browse'.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:11 pm on 16 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Jeff Bezos made $6 bn in 20 minutes this April

short by Vani Vivek / 09:01 pm on 16 Jul 2016,Saturday

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos made $6 billion in 20 minutes, or $300 million per minute on April 28 2016. The company, which turned 21-years-old on July 16, had posted a 28% rise in its first-quarter sales, causing its shares to surge by over 10%. Bezos' net worth rose to $60 billion following this surge.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:01 pm on 16 Jul

read more at Google

Amazon pays employees $5,000 to quit

short by Vani Vivek / 08:05 pm on 16 Jul 2016,Saturday

Amazon, which launched on July 16 1995, pays its employees upto $5,000 to quit their jobs under the 'Pay to Quit' program. Starting from $2,000, the 'Please Don’t Take This Offer' increases by $1,000 annually till it reaches $5,000. "An employee staying somewhere they don’t want to be isn’t healthy for the employee or the company,” explained CEO Jeff Bezos.

short by Vani Vivek / 08:05 pm on 16 Jul

read more at Google

France's terror alert app took 3 hrs to respond

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:11 pm on 16 Jul 2016,Saturday

The French government is facing criticism for its terror alert app 'SAIP' which sent out the first alert nearly three hours after the Nice truck attack began. Launched in June this year, the app was meant to provide an alert within 15 minutes after confirmation of a terror attack. The truck attack in France claimed over 80 lives on Thursday.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:11 pm on 16 Jul

read more at The Verge

McDonald’s filters porn from public Wi-Fi in US

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:35 pm on 16 Jul 2016,Saturday

McDonald’s is filtering out pornographic content from its public Wi-Fi services in the majority of its locations in the US. The decision comes after pressure from internet safety activist group 'Enough is Enough', which aims at safe public Wi-Fi for family and children. Earlier fast food chains Chick-fil-A and Panera Bread also restricted porn from their Wi-Fi services.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:35 pm on 16 Jul

read more at The Next Web

World’s 1st webcam was made to record coffee pot

short by Sanira Mediratta / 02:36 pm on 16 Jul 2016,Saturday

The world’s first webcam, made in 1991, recorded a coffee pot kept in a computer lab in the University of Cambridge. The camera, that grabbed three grayscale images every minute, helped the scientists keep an eye on the coffee levels from their desks. The images were broadcasted live from 1993 to 2001 after which the pot was auctioned for £3,350.

short by Sanira Mediratta / 02:36 pm on 16 Jul

read more at Google

US 1st to open high-band spectrum for 5G network

short by Vani Vivek / 10:31 pm on 15 Jul 2016,Friday

US regulators on Thursday voted to open nearly 11 gigahertz of high-frequency spectrum to help carriers create 5G wireless applications and networks, making US the first country to do so. 5G networks are expected to be at least 10 times faster than 4G networks. South Korea and Japan plan to deploy 5G by 2018 and 2020 respectively.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:31 pm on 15 Jul

read more at Reuters

Bullet trains cross at record speed of 420 kmph

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:26 pm on 15 Jul 2016,Friday

Two bullet trains in China on Friday crossed each other while running on parallel tracks in opposite directions at record speeds of 420 kmph. The two trains - 'Golden Phoenix' and 'Dolphin Blue', were separated by only 1.6 meters when they met, setting a world-first for trains crossing at such speeds, as per China Railway Corporation.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:26 pm on 15 Jul

read more at India Today

Gadget tells users where to apply sunscreen

short by Vani Vivek / 09:53 pm on 15 Jul 2016,Friday

US-based startup Voxelight has developed Sunscreenr, a portable viewer that shows users where they've missed a spot when applying sunscreen or where sunscreen has worn off. Looking through Sunscreenr, users will be able to see dark areas that are covered with sunscreen, and light areas that are vulnerable to sun damage. The waterproof viewer can be pre-ordered for $109.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:53 pm on 15 Jul

read more at Campaign

Apple not competing with Netflix: Senior VP

short by Vani Vivek / 09:19 pm on 15 Jul 2016,Friday

Following the announcement of Apple's TV show, its Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services, Eddy Cue has said that Apple is "not trying to compete with Netflix". "We are only going into the content business [with projects] that we think are really tied to our products... The rest of it is about giving [talent] a platform", he said.

short by Vani Vivek / 09:19 pm on 15 Jul

read more at The Verge

Startup raises $9.3mn to transfer data via light

short by Vani Vivek / 07:28 pm on 15 Jul 2016,Friday

Light communications technology startup PureLiFi on Friday raised $9.3 million (£7 million) in its Series B funding round led by Singapore-based investment company Temasek. The startup said that the new capital will be used to begin commercialising the light fidelity (LiFi) technology. This WiFi alternative uses modulating LED light to send data from one LiFi-equipped device to another.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:28 pm on 15 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Mistaken for Twitter, firm’s shares rose 1000% in 2013

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:08 pm on 15 Jul 2016,Friday

Shares of a bankrupt company, 'Tweeter' Home Entertainment, surged by nearly 1000% after its stock symbol was confused with microblogging site Twitter's symbol at the time of its IPO in 2013. Launched 10 years ago in 2006, Twitter listed its shares under the ticker TWTR, while Tweeter's stocks were listed under TWTRQ, causing investors to buy the wrong shares.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:08 pm on 15 Jul

read more at Reuters

No Instagram post by Twitter CEO since FB acquisition

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:00 pm on 15 Jul 2016,Friday

Twitter’s Co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey has not posted on Instagram since the photo sharing site was acquired by Facebook in April 2012. Twitter, which was launched 10 years ago on July 15, reportedly ‘expressed interest’ in buying Instagram, months before its acquisition for $1 billion. Interestingly, Dorsey was one of the early investors of Instagram.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:00 pm on 15 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Researchers build robot with human-like muscles

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:11 pm on 15 Jul 2016,Friday

Researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a skeleton robot with human-like muscles that assist its movement. The microfilament muscle "tissues" connect to joints, expand and contract like human muscles. Interestingly, the number of muscles in the robots' legs is same as in human legs. It can also move its other body parts such as arms and jaws.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:11 pm on 15 Jul

read more at Engadget

Microsoft wins overseas data protection case

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:18 pm on 15 Jul 2016,Friday

In a drug trafficking case, an appeals court has ruled that Microsoft cannot be forced to provide data stored in Ireland to the US government. Microsoft insisted that the ruling is a win for the protection of people's privacy rights under their own country's laws. The US government had earlier said that this ruling would create exploitable legal loophole.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:18 pm on 15 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

'Donald Trump would be a disaster for innovation'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:30 pm on 15 Jul 2016,Friday

In a letter posted on Medium on Friday, almost 150 technology industry leaders, including those from Facebook, Google, Twitter and Qualcomm, have said, "[Donald] Trump would be a disaster for innovation". "His vision stands against the open exchange of ideas, free movement of people, and productive engagement with the outside world that is critical to our economy", the letter added.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:30 pm on 15 Jul

read more at The Verge

Twitter sent 1st tweet 478 days after it started

short by Abhishek Bansal / 12:23 pm on 15 Jul 2016,Friday

The first tweet from Twitter's official handle was published 478 days after it was founded on March 21, 2006. The tweet, that read "working on iphones via 'hahlo' and 'pocket tweets' - fun!" was posted on July 12, 2007. The microblogging site went live ten years ago on July 15, 2006.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 12:23 pm on 15 Jul

read more at The Verge

Ford shows humans and robots working together

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:59 am on 15 Jul 2016,Friday

In a video posted on Thursday, American automaker Ford showcases its new collaborative robots, known as co-bots, working together with humans in its assembly plant in Germany. "The co-bots are an 'and' proposition and not an 'or' proposition. It's not 'can this robot do what a worker cannot do?' They're complementary, working together as a team", a company representative said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:59 am on 15 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Samsung launches its Serif TV in US

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:43 am on 15 Jul 2016,Friday

Samsung has announced that its 40-inch 'Serif TV', designed in collaboration with award-winning Paris-based design duo 'Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec', is now available for pre-sales in the US. Designed to blend naturally within the home, the $1,500 TV offers a 4K resolution, features a removable fabric-made back and can be used as a centerpiece with its unique I-shaped profile.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:43 am on 15 Jul

read more at Engadget

SoftBank, Lenovo announce Win 10 phone for Japan

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:21 am on 15 Jul 2016,Friday

Japanese technology conglomerate SoftBank, in collaboration with Lenovo, has announced its first Windows 10 phone called the 'SoftBank 503LV'. The phone, which is targeted at businesses and is slated for an October release, features a five-inch 720-pixel display, 32 GB internal storage and 3GB of RAM. It will also offer an 8 MP rear camera and a 2,250 mAh battery.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:21 am on 15 Jul

read more at The Verge

Hexagonal mobile made for women's 'small hands'

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:41 pm on 14 Jul 2016,Thursday

A newly launched Chinese electronics company Keecoo Mobile has unveiled its first product 'Keecoo K1', a hexagon-shaped mobile phone designed for "the small hands of women." The handset runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system and features a 5-inch display, 13 MP rear camera and 8 MP front camera. It comes with 2 GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:41 pm on 14 Jul

read more at The Verge

Xiaomi launches mosquito repellent device

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:35 pm on 14 Jul 2016,Thursday

Xiaomi on Wednesday launched a USB-powered portable mosquito repellent device in China. Priced at $4, the circular device holds a replaceable mosquito repellent mat inside it. The device is dust-proof and lasts for up to 15 hours on a single charge from Xiaomi's 10,000 mAh power bank. The device, however, is currently available for buying only in China.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:35 pm on 14 Jul

read more at YouTube

App made to suggest users what to wear every day

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:04 pm on 14 Jul 2016,Thursday

A New York-based startup has developed an app called 'Tailor' that suggests users what to wear every day. It uses miniature sensors called ‘TailorTags’ which are embedded in the user's clothes to detect and track the garments worn on a daily basis. The app learns the user's style and gives suggestions based on the day's weather and occasion.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:04 pm on 14 Jul

read more at YouTube

Pokémon Go biggest mobile game in the US history

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:39 pm on 14 Jul 2016,Thursday

Pokémon Go has become the biggest ever mobile game in the US history by beating Candy Crush with nearly 21 million daily active users. This number is also higher than Twitter's daily active users. Android users in the country are spending more time on Pokémon Go than Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. Interestingly, Pokémon Go's app installs surpassed Tinder's last week.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:39 pm on 14 Jul

read more at Recode

Firm plans to grow optical fiber in microgravity

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:12 pm on 14 Jul 2016,Thursday

Made In Space, a California-based company that operates a 3D printer on the International Space Station (ISS), plans to grow optical fiber in microgravity. It will attempt to create better fiber in microgravity as terrestrially produced fiber suffers from glass impurities, potentially resulting in signal degradation. The company is scheduled to send a manufacturing product to the ISS in 2017.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:12 pm on 14 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

20-year-old flaw found in Windows Print Spooler

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:36 pm on 14 Jul 2016,Thursday

US-based researchers have discovered a 20-year-old flaw in Windows Print Spooler – program responsible for the printing process – that lets attackers slip malware into a PC. As the spooler doesn't verify any printer drivers' legitimacy, it's possible for attackers to install maliciously-coded drivers through the internet or the printer. However, Microsoft had later released a patch for the same.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:36 pm on 14 Jul

read more at Engadget

US volleyball team uses wearable to track jumps

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:58 am on 14 Jul 2016,Thursday

The US women's volleyball team, while training for the upcoming Olympics, uses the VERT wearable jump monitor, which calculates their jump heights and counts, and sends the real-time data to an accompanying app. The team has also been using it as an injury-prevention tool. VERT President and Founder Martin Matak has claimed that NBA's Miami Heat also uses this wearable.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:58 am on 14 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Facebook's new mobile device lab has 2000 phones

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:53 am on 14 Jul 2016,Thursday

Facebook on Wednesday unveiled a mobile device lab at its data centre facility in the Prineville city of Oregon state, that houses almost 2,000 iOS and Android smartphones for testing out its applications. The lab will enable the company to run and test its apps, including Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, on every possible device configuration.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:53 am on 14 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

Apple to launch its first TV reality show

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:58 pm on 13 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Apple is launching its first television reality show called 'Planet of the Apps.' The show will be a launchpad and accelerator for 100 app developers. The developers can receive investments of up to $10 million from VCs, guidance from experts and get their app featured on App Store through the show. It has three Executive producers including Hip-hop artist will.i.am.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:58 pm on 13 Jul

read more at The Verge

Mall security robot runs over 1 yr-old boy in US

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:15 pm on 13 Jul 2016,Wednesday

A 136-kilogram autonomous mall security robot at the Stanford Shopping Center in Silicon Valley ran over a one-year-old boy last week and left him with a swollen foot. The five-feet robot kept moving after knocking down the boy. The robot, a Knightscope K5, is used to recognise known shoplifters and report unusual noises to the mall's security team.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:15 pm on 13 Jul

read more at Daily Mail

Google, LinkedIn swap property in Silicon Valley

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:13 pm on 13 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Google and LinkedIn on Tuesday announced that they have swapped over 3 million square foot of their real estate properties in the Silicon Valley. While LinkedIn picked up Google's seven buildings, Google took over LinkedIn’s Mountain View headquarters office and four other properties. It will reportedly help Google with its new, green and futuristic campus plan revealed in 2015.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:13 pm on 13 Jul

read more at Recode

German robot solved Rubik's Cube in 0.887 secs

short by Satyaki Das / 05:25 pm on 13 Jul 2016,Wednesday

In January 2016, German engineer Albert Beer's robot Sub1 solved a standard 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube in a record 0.887 seconds, becoming the fastest Rubik's Cube solver. Remarkably, the fastest human solver, Lucas Etter (US) took 4.904 seconds to achieve the same feat. The Rubik's Cube was invented in 1974 by Hungarian architecture professor Ernő Rubik, who turns 72 today.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:25 pm on 13 Jul

read more at YouTube

Georgia Tech builds robot with human-like stride

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:46 pm on 13 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US have built DURUS, a robot which has natural human-like heel strikes and push-offs. It has springs between its ankles and feet that act like elastic tendons in humans. The springs allow it to store mechanical energy from the heel strike to be used when the toe pushes off the ground.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:46 pm on 13 Jul

read more at Engadget

Microsoft debuts 'Surface as a Service' program

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:27 pm on 13 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Microsoft on Tuesday announced "Surface as a Service" program, a new initiative that will allow businesses to lease Surface devices, alongside subscriptions to its Office 365 and Windows 10 products. The company said that this move will help in expanding Surface's footprint in the enterprise and will also allow its customers to benefit from access to the latest hardware.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:27 pm on 13 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Google to add hotel, flight details to Search

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:24 am on 13 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Google on Tuesday announced a series of updates for its search results that will help its users find best deals on flights and accommodations. It will highlight deals when certain hotels are cheaper than normal, and will suggest tweaking the dates of the stay to get cheaper deals. The new features will also include price tracking for flights.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:24 am on 13 Jul

read more at Engadget

'Pokémon' porn searches up 136% after Pokémon Go

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:23 am on 13 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Adult entertainment site Pornhub has reported a 136% increase in searches for "Pokémon" since the launch of the Pokémon Go game last week. The report revealed that men are 62% more likely to search for Pokémon compared to women, while people in the 18-24 age group are 336% more likely to search for Pokémon than all other age groups.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:23 am on 13 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

Anti-gravity iPhone case allows hands-free access

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:59 am on 13 Jul 2016,Wednesday

US-based electronics maker Mega Tiny Corporation has developed an anti-gravity case that allows hands-free access to iPhone 6 users by sticking the smartphone to flat surfaces. It uses nano-suction technology to stick to glass, mirrors, whiteboards, metal and other surfaces. The case also allows charging of smartphone without removing the case.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:59 am on 13 Jul

read more at YouTube

Nissan debuts driver-assist technology ProPilot

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:28 am on 13 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Nissan has introduced a new driver-assist technology called ProPilot, which will be available in its new Serena minivan in Japan. It makes the minivan capable of accelerating, braking and navigating highway stop-and-go traffic in a single lane. The system sends warnings when drivers take their hands off the wheel and eventually disables the autopilot mode if the prompts are ignored.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:28 am on 13 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

Smart pillow 'Zeeq' lets users stream music

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:59 am on 13 Jul 2016,Wednesday

US-based startup REM-Fit has created a smart pillow named 'Zeeq' that comes with in-built speakers to let users stream music through their smartphones. While the users are asleep, the pillow tracks their motion and the volume of snoring to indicate the overall quality of their sleep. Further, a motor fitted inside the pillow vibrates to stop the users from snoring.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:59 am on 13 Jul

read more at Engadget

Samsung to unveil Galaxy Note 7 on August 2

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:45 am on 13 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Samsung on Wednesday announced that it will unveil the 'Galaxy Note7' in New York on August 2. The smartphone will be a successor to the Galaxy Note5, skipping the Galaxy Note6 name. Explaining the change, the company said that the Galaxy Note7 will complement Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, and will provide full alignment with the Galaxy S smartphones.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:45 am on 13 Jul

read more at Engadget

Sundar Pichai bought his 1st smartphone in 2006

short by Rahul Raj / 11:15 pm on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who turns 44 on Tuesday, bought his first smartphone in 2006 and his first ever phone, a Motorola Startac, in 1995. In a 2015 interview, Pichai said he has about 20-30 phones in his house. He took over the Android business of Google in 2013 and is responsible for the introduction of Android One smartphones.

short by Rahul Raj / 11:15 pm on 12 Jul

read more at YouTube

Warner Bros paid YouTube celebs for game reviews

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:49 pm on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

The US Federal Trade Commission has revealed that Warner Brothers paid YouTube celebrities for positive review videos for its game ‘Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor.’ Rather than labelling videos as promoted content, the celebrities put a disclaimer in the video description, making it less likely to be seen by the viewers. The company, however, wasn't ordered to pay any fine.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:49 pm on 12 Jul

read more at Engadget

Land Rover's tech predicts road conditions ahead

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:29 pm on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Jaguar Land Rover has developed a 'Surface ID Research Technology' for self-driving vehicles that uses advanced sensors to identify and predict the surface conditions on the road ahead. Once identified, the technology prompts the driver to change the terrain response mode. This helps the drivers to optimise all-terrain performance of the vehicle without loss of momentum or control.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:29 pm on 12 Jul

read more at YouTube

Pichai married his IIT Kharagpur classmate

short by Rahul Raj / 07:39 pm on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who turns 44 on Tuesday, married Anjali, a classmate from Chemical Engineering Department at IIT Kharagpur. They have two kids, a boy and a girl, and live in Los Altos Hills in San Francisco, California. Pichai's friend from Kharagpur had reportedly said that "becoming Google CEO was easier for Sundar than expressing feelings for Anjali."

short by Rahul Raj / 07:39 pm on 12 Jul

read more at Google

Moto G4 delivers a lot for a little: Review

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:38 pm on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Motorola's recently launched Moto G4 smartphone priced at ₹12,499 "delivers a lot for a little...It’s a deal that’s pretty tough to beat," said TechCrunch. "There’s no doubt the Moto G4 is a good phone," said The Guardian. "With its big, bold screen, water-resistant design and rock-bottom price, the Moto G4 is a dazzling deal," said CNET.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:38 pm on 12 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Twitter code reveals Euro’s most popular goals

short by Saloni Tandon / 07:20 pm on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Twitter has launched an interactive chart which shows the excitement generated by goals scored in the Euro 2016, based on the percentage of tweets related to the match. Notably, the most excitement-generating goals came from underdog teams like Northern Ireland's first win in the tournament, and Wales’ quarter-final victory over Belgium.

short by Saloni Tandon / 07:20 pm on 12 Jul

read more at Twitter

Pokemon inspired from creator’s bug collection hobby

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:13 pm on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Popular video game and anime series Pokemon was inspired from creator Satoshi Tajiri’s boyhood hobby of bug and insect collection. The creator’s fascination for insects led his classmates to call him ‘Mr. Bug’. Notably, Pokemon also involves human trainers catching and training fictional creatures, many of which resemble real life animals.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 07:13 pm on 12 Jul

read more at Google

Pokemon Go resembles Google's April Fool's Day video

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:09 pm on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

A prank video by Google on April Fool's Day in 2014 bears resemblance to the recently launched game, Pokemon Go. The video announced the openings for the post of 'Pokemon Master' at Google, and participants were required to use Google Maps to locate and 'catch' Pokemon from different terrains across the globe.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:09 pm on 12 Jul

read more at YouTube

Sundar Pichai got a salary of $100.5 mn in 2015

short by Rahul Raj / 04:58 pm on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who turns 44 on Tuesday, received $100.5 million pay package in 2015 as per the parent company Alphabet’s filing. He was awarded $99.8 million in restricted stock and $652,500 salary. Pichai, an IIT Kharagpur alumnus, joined Google in 2004 as its Vice President of product management and became its CEO in August 2015.

short by Rahul Raj / 04:58 pm on 12 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

MIT researchers develop new anonymity network

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:53 pm on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

A team of MIT researchers has developed an anonymity network, called Riffle, following the revelation of vulnerabilities in the widely-popular anonymity network 'Tor'. Apart from the existing techniques being used by Tor, Riffle adds two more layers of security – making every server permute the order of messages it receives and keeping any malicious server from leaking the incoming data.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:53 pm on 12 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Microsoft to shut mobile phone unit in Finland

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:09 pm on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Microsoft on Monday confirmed that it will close its mobile phone unit in Finland and cut up to 1,350 jobs in the country. Reportedly, Windows-powered smartphones accounted for less than 1% of global smartphone sales in May. The news came months after Microsoft sold Finnish firm Nokia's feature phone business, which it had bought in 2014 for $7.2 billion.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:09 pm on 12 Jul

read more at Reuters

Australia will use robot to explore Antarctic

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:07 pm on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Australia's Tasmania state will use an autonomous underwater vehicle to explore new parts of the Antarctic environment. Named "Explorer", the vehicle is reportedly capable of diving to depths of 5,000 metres and travelling over 100 km under thick ice. It is funded by the Antarctic Gateway Partnership, an initiative that aims to understand Antarctica's role in the global climate system.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:07 pm on 12 Jul

Video explains how Pokémon Go game is played

short by Pragya Swastik / 12:24 pm on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

The recently released gaming app Pokémon Go uses augmented reality to let users discover and capture Pokémon around them. The app uses the smartphone's location to decide when and where the Pokémon will appear. The game, which features only the 151 original Pokémon, needs users to physically move, find hidden Pokémon, and battle at 'Pokémon Gyms'.

short by Pragya Swastik / 12:24 pm on 12 Jul

read more at YouTube

Wear your failure as a badge of honour: Pichai

short by Rahul Raj / 12:23 pm on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who turns 44 on Tuesday, said in an interview in 2015, “Wear your failure as a badge of honour.” He talked about the startup culture and explained how there is no stigma attached to failure in the Silicon Valley. Pichai further insisted on working with people better than oneself for growth.

short by Rahul Raj / 12:23 pm on 12 Jul

read more at YouTube

eBay acquires predictive analytics startup

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:11 pm on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

E-commerce giant eBay on Monday announced the acquisition of Israel-based predictive analytics startup SalesPredict that leverages advanced analytics to predict customer buying behaviour and sales conversion. Although the terms of the deal were not revealed, eBay stated that the move is an effort to make itself better understand how to reach those looking to buy from its online marketplace.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:11 pm on 12 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

Man cheats at Pokémon Go using drone

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:11 pm on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

According to a Tumblr post, a user named 'perchbird' uses a DJI phantom drone to cheat at Nintendo's recently released record-breaking augmented reality game Pokémon Go. He reportedly used an app called AirDroid to mirror his phone's screen to his laptop. Since the AirDroid app requires internet to operate, the drone was restricted to the WiFi's broadcast area of 50 feet.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:11 pm on 12 Jul

read more at The Verge

Nanotech 'tattoo' tracks facial muscles, nerves

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:04 am on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel have developed a carbon electrode that can be placed on the skin as a temporary electronic 'tattoo' to measure facial muscle and nerve activity. The device can be used to help restore damaged tissues and also study emotional responses by tracking facial expressions through the facial muscles' electrical signals, researchers said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:04 am on 12 Jul

read more at Engadget

Israel terror attack victims sue FB for $1 bn

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:38 am on 12 Jul 2016,Tuesday

The families of five Israeli and US citizens killed by Palestinian attacks have filed a lawsuit against Facebook seeking $1 billion in damages. In the lawsuit, the social network was accused of playing a key role in the Palestinian fundamentalist organisation Hamas's ability to plan and carry out the terrorist activities, by facilitating communication and recruitment.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:38 am on 12 Jul

read more at Engadget

Engineering dept took the day off, tweets Lenovo

short by Vani Vivek / 11:32 pm on 11 Jul 2016,Monday

Reacting to the popularity of Nintendo's Pokémon Go, Lenovo tweeted, "So…Our engineering dept all just took the day off, saying 'gotta catch ‘em all' Expect delays. #PokemonGO". "Pokémon hunting has become a new American hobby", tweeted Wall Street Journal. America rapper Wiz Khalifa tweeted, "I feel like there's Pokemon all around me and I just don't know it".

short by Vani Vivek / 11:32 pm on 11 Jul

read more at Tweet Collection

Armed robbers used Pokémon Go to target people

short by Vani Vivek / 10:27 pm on 11 Jul 2016,Monday

The Missouri Police Department in US on Sunday reported an armed robbery in which the robbers used augmented reality game Pokémon Go to reel in and target their victims. According to the police, the four suspects added beacons to 'Pokéstops' to lure players to specific locations and robbed them at gunpoint.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:27 pm on 11 Jul

read more at Engadget

Users spending 43 mins per day on Pokémon Go app

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:57 pm on 11 Jul 2016,Monday

The average time spent by the users on Pokémon Go app has reached 43 minutes and 23 seconds a day, according to UK-based web analytics company SimilarWeb. It's higher than the time spent by the users on apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook Messenger. The game's APK file providing website 'apkmirror' has crossed 4 million hits led by Brazil.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:57 pm on 11 Jul

Qualcomm unveils its fastest mobile processor

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:15 pm on 11 Jul 2016,Monday

Qualcomm today unveiled the Snapdragon 821, the fastest mobile processor made by the company so far. The new processor is 10% faster than the Snapdragon 820 processor and can reach speeds of up to 2.4 GHz. Devices including smartphones, tablets and virtual reality headsets equipped with the new processor are expected to launch in the second half of 2016.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:15 pm on 11 Jul

read more at Engadget

Pokemon Go pulls Nintendo shares to highest since 1983

short by Mansha Mahajan / 06:44 pm on 11 Jul 2016,Monday

Gaming company Nintendo's shares surged by as much as 25%, their daily limit, on Monday morning, lifting the company’s market value by $7.5 billion in two days. This comes after the release of its augmented reality game Pokémon Go last week. This is the stock's biggest one-day rise since it began trading in Tokyo in 1983.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 06:44 pm on 11 Jul

read more at Reuters

Google to train 2 mn Android developers in India

short by Vani Vivek / 06:14 pm on 11 Jul 2016,Monday

Google India on Monday announced the Android Skilling program, aimed at training 2 million developers over the next three years. This course curriculum will be made available across universities and training institutes of National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). The Android Developer Fundamentals course and all practicals and courseware will also be available as open source for free.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:14 pm on 11 Jul

read more at Google

Pokémon Go app downloads cross Tinder in the US

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:36 pm on 11 Jul 2016,Monday

A day after its launch in the US, downloads of free mobile game app Pokémon Go on Android phones outnumbered Tinder downloads in the country. By the second day of the launch, the app was on over 5% of all Android devices in the US. Further, over 60% of those who have downloaded the Pokémon Go app are using it daily.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:36 pm on 11 Jul

Solar plane in second last leg of world flight

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:32 pm on 11 Jul 2016,Monday

Solar-powered plane Solar Impulse 2 on Monday took off from Spain and headed towards Egypt's Cairo, beginning the 16th and second last leg of the first ever fuel-free round-the-world flight. It is expected to reach Cairo in 50 hours and 30 minutes. It cruises at an average speed of 75 kmph and has over 17,000 solar cells on its wings.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:32 pm on 11 Jul

read more at Reuters

Smart LED bag that responds to music beats made

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:12 pm on 10 Jul 2016,Sunday

A New York-based entrepreneur has developed a smart LED bag called 'LiLu Smart Bag', which responds to music beats though various light formations. A dedicated app for the bag allows users to take control of the bag's LED panel, sensitivity towards music and check the bag's battery. LiLu is waterproof and claims to last for 10 hours on single charge.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:12 pm on 10 Jul

read more at YouTube

New iOS app turns users' photos into paintings

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:17 pm on 10 Jul 2016,Sunday

Russian startup Prisma Labs has launched a new photo-editing app on iOS named 'Prisma', that lets users convert their photos into paintings. The app currently has 34 different filters which draw inspiration from painters including Van Gogh, Picasso, Levitan and others. The startup has plans to launch the Android app by the end of this month.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:17 pm on 10 Jul

Twelve-seater self-driving bus unveiled in Tokyo

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:37 pm on 10 Jul 2016,Sunday

Japanese technology company DeNA recently unveiled its first self-driving bus named 'EZ10 Robot Shuttle' in Tokyo, that runs on electricity and carries 12 passengers. The bus is designed to ferry people from parking spaces to their destinations. It has a top speed of 40 kmph and will be first used at a Japanese shopping facility next month.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:37 pm on 10 Jul

read more at Reuters

World’s 1st TV satellite launched 50 years ago

short by Satyaki Das / 05:42 pm on 10 Jul 2016,Sunday

On July 10, 1962, NASA launched Telstar, the world’s first communications satellite to relay television and telephone signals through space. It successfully provided the first live transatlantic television feed, relaying footage of US President John F Kennedy talking about the price of the US dollar to Europe, and transmitting a video of French singer Yves Montand back to the US.

short by Satyaki Das / 05:42 pm on 10 Jul

read more at Google

How you use your voice is up to you: YouTube CEO

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:41 pm on 10 Jul 2016,Sunday

Reacting to this week's violence in the United States, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki wrote a blog post addressing the YouTube stars which said, "How you use your voice is up to you." It further said, "If you can use it to help us all figure out how to live together in respect...support the Black community...we need to hear it."

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:41 pm on 10 Jul

read more at Recode

Uber suspends services to protest violence in US

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:38 pm on 10 Jul 2016,Sunday

Uber on Friday night suspended its services for a minute in the US to protest against the recent race and gun violence in the country. A message on the app said, "You’ll see a peace sign in our app. As we move around our cities this weekend, let’s take a moment to think about what we can do to help."

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:38 pm on 10 Jul

read more at Recode

US startup's tech to control computer with eyes

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:06 pm on 10 Jul 2016,Sunday

A Silicon Valley-based startup named 'Eyefluence' is working on a technology that would allow users to control their computer screens with their eyes. The technology includes a pair of eye-tracking augmented reality glasses equipped with cameras that preview the computer's screen. It allows users to click on icons with a glance and send messages by dictating.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:06 pm on 10 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Virgin Galactic to resume public spaceship tests

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:37 pm on 10 Jul 2016,Sunday

Commercial spaceship startup founded by billionaire Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic will resume test flights of its new spaceship 'Unity' from August this year, while attached to an aircraft. It is scheduled to begin independent, fully powered flights next year. The company's flights have been grounded since October 2014, after its 'SpaceShipTwo' broke up in mid-air, resulting in a fatal crash.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:37 pm on 10 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

New technique to test source code bug-finders

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:29 pm on 10 Jul 2016,Sunday

Researchers at the New York University, in collaboration with the MIT and Northeastern University, have developed a new technique called LAVA that could help in testing and improving the quality of existing source code bug-finders. In this technique, the team would add known quantities of controlled vulnerabilities in a source code to test the limits of the existing bug-finding tools.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:29 pm on 10 Jul

read more at ANI

Hardware components used to play Star Wars theme

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:48 pm on 10 Jul 2016,Sunday

A YouTube user, named Paweł Zadrożniak, has uploaded a video featuring 64 floppy drives, eight hard disks, two scanners and other hardware components being used to create the 'Star Wars' theme music. The whole setup, named 'Floppotron 2.0', was also used to create the theme music of the American television series 'Hawaii Five-O' and Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' soundtrack.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:48 pm on 10 Jul

read more at The Verge

Nexus 6P case claims to triple battery life

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:10 pm on 10 Jul 2016,Sunday

Electronics maker ZeroLemon has developed a battery case for Nexus 6P, which claims to triple the battery life of the smartphone. It includes an 8,500 mAh battery that ZeroLemon says will provide an extra 190% of battery to the smartphone. The case, which features a battery level indicator and a power button, can be charged simultaneously with the smartphone.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:10 pm on 10 Jul

read more at The Verge

'Pro-ISIS Twitter traffic fell 45% in 2 years'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:09 pm on 10 Jul 2016,Sunday

According to an Associated Press report, US officials have claimed that pro-ISIS Twitter traffic has dropped by 45% in the last two years. The data revealed that the ratio of anti-IS online content to pro-IS has improved from last year to 6:1. Further, pro-IS Twitter accounts which are found today, have about 300 followers each, against the 1,500 in 2014.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:09 pm on 10 Jul

read more at The Verge

First moon landing code made available on Github

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:56 am on 10 Jul 2016,Sunday

The guidance computer code responsible for the first moon landing using the Apollo 11 spacecraft was recently uploaded online on the repository hosting service GitHub by a former NASA intern. The spacecraft lifted-off on July 16, 1969, carrying Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, landed on the lunar surface on July 20 and returned to Earth on July 24.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:56 am on 10 Jul

read more at The Verge

'Developing next gen routers for secure networks'

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 11:38 am on 10 Jul 2016,Sunday

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday said India is working on manufacturing next generation routers to secure its telecommunication networks. An agreement with ANURAG (Advanced Numerical Research and Analysis Group) has been signed for the same, he added. "We cannot have routers...functioning from abroad where there might be bugs to...cause leakage of vital information," he further said.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 11:38 am on 10 Jul

read more at PTI

Twitter denies it can see users' Vine passwords

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:36 am on 10 Jul 2016,Sunday

After hacking Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's Vine account, the hacker group named 'OurMine' had claimed that Twitter can see users' Vine passwords, which was later denied by the micro-blogging website. OurMine mentioned that it hacked Dorsey's dropbox and found a picture of Vine's control panel, showing users' private information and passwords. However, Twitter insisted that the picture is inaccurate.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:36 am on 10 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

Deleted tweets archive PostGhost shuts down

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:57 pm on 09 Jul 2016,Saturday

A website that archived tweets of famous, rich and important personalities, PostGhost has shut down following an email from Twitter. The email said, "PostGhost displays deleted Tweets and is currently violating our Developer Agreement and Policy." PostGhost wrote an open letter to Twitter to work "towards a resolution that maintains user privacy while holding public figures accountable."

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:57 pm on 09 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

The list goes on...now it's the CEO, tweets user

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:36 pm on 09 Jul 2016,Saturday

Reacting to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's hacked Vine account and hacker's posts appearing on his Twitter, a user tweeted, "The list goes on and on. Now it's the CEO himself." Another user tweeted, "Delete your Account, best way to be secured !" A user also tweeted, "After Zuckerberg and Pichai now #Jack is hacked." "Ahahah!!! #OurMine Rocks," read another tweet.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:36 pm on 09 Jul

read more at Tweet Collection

Smart suitcase that transforms into vehicle made

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:04 pm on 09 Jul 2016,Saturday

Iranian startup IKAP-Robotics has developed 'Olive', a smart interactive suitcase that can be transformed into a vehicle to carry its user. Connected through an app, the suitcase allows users to set reminders, charge devices through in-built USB port and get information about its weight. The suitcase can also be locked or unlocked remotely and tracked in real-time through the app.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:04 pm on 09 Jul

read more at YouTube

Facebook Messenger allows booking UberPOOL in US

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:55 pm on 09 Jul 2016,Saturday

Facebook Messenger on Friday announced that it will let users in the United States to book and share UberPOOL rides through its service. A car icon or More (three-dots) option in an open Facebook conversation can be used to request a ride. The driver's arrival time, name and car model will be sent to the users on their Messenger.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:55 pm on 09 Jul

read more at The Next Web

Samsung unveils phone with 'Smart Glow' in India

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:07 pm on 09 Jul 2016,Saturday

Samsung on Friday unveiled its Galaxy J2 (2016) smartphone in India, which features a 'Smart Glow' notification ring. The ring's colour can be customised by the users to notify selected contacts, apps and phone usage alerts. Priced at ₹9,750, it also features a 5-inch display, 1.5 GB RAM, 8 GB memory, 8 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:07 pm on 09 Jul

read more at YouTube

Ringing Bells launches LED television at ₹9,900

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:18 pm on 09 Jul 2016,Saturday

The maker of ₹251 Android smartphone Freedom 251, Ringing Bells on Friday launched a 31.5-inch LED television named 'Freedom 9900' in India priced at ₹9,900. The television will be available to customers from August 15 this year. The company also launched six new mobiles including four feature phones and two smartphones.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:18 pm on 09 Jul

read more at Trak.in

Vegas resort installs biggest solar roof in US

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:03 pm on 09 Jul 2016,Saturday

A resort and casino in Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay has installed the biggest solar roof in the US, made with over 26,000 solar panels. It produces a combined 8.3 MW dc of electricity, which meets 25% of the resort's power demand. The annual electricity production by the panels is equivalent to the average annual usage of 1,340 US homes.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:03 pm on 09 Jul

read more at Engadget

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's Vine account hacked

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:37 pm on 09 Jul 2016,Saturday

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's Vine account was on Saturday hacked by a hacker group named OurMine, which had earlier claimed responsibility for hacking Twitter accounts of Sundar Pichai and Mark Zuckerberg. All the posts appeared on Dorsey's Twitter account, which is linked to his Vine. After posting a couple of pictures, OurMine tweeted, "Hey, its OurMine, we are testing your security."

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:37 pm on 09 Jul

read more at Engadget

Samsung Galaxy S7 Active not waterproof: Reports

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:24 pm on 09 Jul 2016,Saturday

Consumer Reports, a non-profit organisation that evaluates products, has said that Samsung's Galaxy S7 Active is not actually water-resistant. Samsung had claimed that all its Galaxy S7 phones, including the S7 Active, are designed to survive in water for up to 30 minutes. Consumer Reports tested two handsets in water for 30 minutes which resulted in camera and screen damage.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:24 pm on 09 Jul

read more at India Today

India's 1st crowdfunded electric bike unveiled

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:25 pm on 09 Jul 2016,Saturday

India's first crowdfunded eco-friendly electric bike, named Spero, was unveiled on Saturday. The bike, priced between ₹29,900 and ₹50,900, will launch in three variants based on the distance it covers on a single charge – 30 km, 60 km and 100 km. It can go from 0-25 kmph in 10 seconds and is equipped with five gears in electric mode.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:25 pm on 09 Jul

Bluetooth water purifier launched at ₹20,790

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:26 pm on 09 Jul 2016,Saturday

Gurgaon-based company Livpure has launched what it claims is India's first smart RO water purifier. It can be controlled completely using a Bluetooth-connected smartphone through the Livpure Android app. Named 'Livpure Smartouch', the purifier is priced at ₹20,790 and offers an eight-stage advanced purification system with a storage capacity of 8.5 litres.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:26 pm on 09 Jul

Apple agrees to pay $25 mn in patent litigation

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:49 pm on 09 Jul 2016,Saturday

Apple has agreed to pay $25 million to settle a patent infringement lawsuit filed by US-based Network-1 Technologies over a filing system based patent from 1999. The patent's description read, "The present invention relates to an operating system in which documents are stored in a chronologically ordered stream". Under the agreement, Apple will also receive licenses to other Network-1 patents.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:49 pm on 09 Jul

read more at The Verge

12K resolution time lapse of Los Angeles

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:48 pm on 09 Jul 2016,Saturday

Los Angeles-based photographer Joe Capra has shot a time lapse footage of the city of Los Angeles in 12K resolution using a 100 megapixel Phase One XF IQ3 camera. Accompanied by Tony Anderson's "Journey" soundtrack, the video footage has 50,000 frames, each of which is 100 megapixels. The raw video of the footage was reportedly around 32 TB.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:48 pm on 09 Jul

read more at Video

Sh*t I say shudn't see light of day, tweets user

short by Dishant Sharma / 01:33 am on 09 Jul 2016,Saturday

Reacting to Facebook introducing end-to-end encryption in its Messenger service, a user tweeted, "Thank you Facebook, cause the sh*t I say should not see the light of day - Secret Conversations for Messenger". "The FBI Director asked tech companies not to turn end-to-end encryption on by default, and Facebook listened", read another user's tweet.

short by Dishant Sharma / 01:33 am on 09 Jul

read more at Tweets

Nintendo shares jump 10% with Pokémon Go launch

short by Vani Vivek / 11:18 pm on 08 Jul 2016,Friday

Shares of Japanese video game company Nintendo surged 10% to over two-month high on Friday following the launch of its smartphone game Pokémon Go on Wednesday. Available only in select countries on iOS and Android, it lets players catch Pokémon in the “real” world using augmented-reality. The game is currently the top-ranked free app on US iTunes store.

short by Vani Vivek / 11:18 pm on 08 Jul

read more at Reuters

Robot used to kill Dallas shooting suspect

short by Vani Vivek / 10:39 pm on 08 Jul 2016,Friday

Dallas Police Chief David Brown revealed on Friday that the police force used a remotely controlled bomb-defusing robot to kill a suspect in the recent Dallas shooting that killed five policemen. The police attached an explosive to the robot's arm extension, in what is possibly the first example of the American police using a robot to kill a suspect.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:39 pm on 08 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Theranos CEO banned from running labs for 2 yrs

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:22 pm on 08 Jul 2016,Friday

Elizabeth Holmes, Founder and CEO of blood analysis startup Theranos, was banned for two years from operating a blood testing lab. Theranos had claimed that it could detect health ailments by testing blood drawn through a finger prick. Later, a review of its practices found that all 81 patient results the company inspected in a blood clotting test were inaccurate.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:22 pm on 08 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Facebook Messenger tests end-to-end encryption

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:17 pm on 08 Jul 2016,Friday

Facebook on Friday announced that it has started testing end-to-end encryption for its Messenger service with a new feature called 'Secret Conversations'. It will allow controlling the length of time each message remains visible within the conversation. The new feature, which is available on a limited basis as of now, cannot support rich content like GIFs and videos.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:17 pm on 08 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Floor mopping robot launched at ₹32,000

short by Vani Vivek / 07:09 pm on 08 Jul 2016,Friday

Indian consumer robots brand Milagrow on Thursday launched AguaBot 5.0, a wet mopping and dry cleaning floor vacuuming robot, priced at ₹31,990. The robot comes with a water reservoir to clean the floor and a smart mop attachment to wipe it dry. Weighing 2.5 kg, the cleaner can cover 3,500 square feet in about 120 minutes on a single charge.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:09 pm on 08 Jul

read more at YouTube

British brewery uses AI to improve beer recipes

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:34 pm on 08 Jul 2016,Friday

UK-based IntelligentX Brewing Company claims to be the first company to use an Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform to improve its beer recipes. The AI, being used as a Facebook Messenger bot, asks drinkers questions about the beer, their tastes and preferences. The answers to those questions are then used to find trends that could help improve the final product.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:34 pm on 08 Jul

read more at Engadget

Ringing Bells to start shipping Freedom 251 today

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:48 pm on 08 Jul 2016,Friday

Noida-based Ringing Bells on Thursday announced that it will start shipping 'Freedom 251', claimed to be the cheapest smartphone ever, from Friday. Director Mohit Goel said that the first batch of 5,000 devices will be delivered for ₹251, plus ₹40 as delivery charges. Last week, Goel had announced that two lakh smartphones will be shipped to buyers picked by lottery.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 03:48 pm on 08 Jul

read more at PTI

Harvard team builds living robot from rat hearts

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:33 pm on 08 Jul 2016,Friday

Harvard University researchers have used 200,000 genetically-engineered rat cells to develop a robot that looks like a stingray. The team used silicone for the robot's body and also to insulate its skleton, which was made of gold wire. The cells were designed to contract when exposed to a specific wavelength of light, helping the robot to mimic a stingray's movement.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:33 pm on 08 Jul

read more at Engadget

Spanish Nissan dealer sells car over Twitter

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:10 pm on 08 Jul 2016,Friday

Antamotor, a Nissan dealer in Spain, recently sold an X-Trail crossover over Twitter to a customer named Raul Escolano. Escolano had used the hashtag #compraruncocheportwitter (buy a car on Twitter) to challenge automakers across the country to sell him a car only through social networks. Nissan then gave him a walkthrough of the car through Periscope before sealing the deal.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:10 pm on 08 Jul

read more at The Verge

Instagram introduces 'Comment Moderation' option

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:52 pm on 08 Jul 2016,Friday

Facebook-owned Instagram has introduced a new 'Comment Moderation' option, that will help business users cut down on the amount of spam and abuse in comments. It essentially blocks comments with words or phrases often reported as offensive. The new feature, which can be turned on from the account settings, was rolled out only for business pages for now.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:52 pm on 08 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Samsung unveils Galaxy S7 Edge Olympics edition

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:07 pm on 08 Jul 2016,Friday

Samsung on Thursday introduced the new Galaxy S7 Edge Olympic Games Limited Edition. In collaboration with the International Olympic Committee, the company will offer 12,500 units of the limited edition handsets along with its Gear IconX earbuds to all the 2016 Rio Olympics participants. It also announced the official Rio 2016 app, which will feature Olympic schedule and other information.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:07 pm on 08 Jul

read more at Samsung

Apple releases first iOS 10 public beta version

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:11 pm on 08 Jul 2016,Friday

Apple on Friday released the first public beta version of its latest mobile operating system iOS 10. It features 3D touch notifications, predictive text, 'Home' app and 'raise to wake' among others. The beta will also allow deleting some built-in apps like iTunes, News and Stocks. Apple also released the beta version of its latest computer operating system 'macOS Sierra'.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:11 pm on 08 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

15 year old hacked NASA systems in 1999

short by Rahul Raj / 11:27 am on 08 Jul 2016,Friday

Hacker Jonathan James from Florida hacked NASA computers in 1999 when he was 15 years old, resulting in a three week system shutdown and an estimated recovery cost of $41,000. He also invaded computers of a Defense Department agency and intercepted 3,300 emails with 19 employee passwords. He was later traced and sentenced to six months in jail.

short by Rahul Raj / 11:27 am on 08 Jul

read more at Google

Microsoft COO for 11 years Kevin Turner quits

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:26 pm on 07 Jul 2016,Thursday

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Thursday announced that the company's Chief Operating Officer for 11 years, Kevin Turner has quit the company. Turner is joining as the CEO of Citadel Securities, a US-based global financial institution. He was reportedly on the shortlist to replace former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer before Nadella was hired.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:26 pm on 07 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Google Search says there are only two genders

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:59 pm on 07 Jul 2016,Thursday

Google Search for the query “How many genders are there?” gives "There are only 2 genders. Male and Female" as the top result. This outcome is reportedly due to a Google Search feature called 'Featured Snippets' which aggregates information from high-ranking sources and summarises it. Notably, Facebook offers its users 53 gender choices and allows them to add custom genders.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:59 pm on 07 Jul

read more at The Next Web

'Peel P50' is the world's smallest car ever made

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:45 pm on 07 Jul 2016,Thursday

Three-wheeled micro-car 'Peel P50', having a length of 53 inches, is the world's smallest production car ever made, according to the Guinness World Records. The one seater car has a top speed of 64 kmph and weighs 59 kg. Only 100 units of the car were manufactured by the Peel Engineering Company in the 1960s.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:45 pm on 07 Jul

read more at YouTube

Microsoft email addresses interns with 'Hey Bae'

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:24 pm on 07 Jul 2016,Thursday

Microsoft on Wednesday addressed its interns with "Hey Bae Intern!" in an email inviting them to a company party. The email further said, "There will be hella noms, lots of dranks...Hell yes to getting lit on a Monday night." Microsoft later apologised saying the email was "poorly worded and not in keeping with (Microsoft's) values as a company."

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:24 pm on 07 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

India ranked world's fourth largest app economy

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:31 pm on 07 Jul 2016,Thursday

India has been ranked as the world's fourth largest mobile app economy in a report by analytics firm App Annie. China, United States and Brazil were ranked first, second and third respectively. The report further predicts that app downloads in India will reach 20.1 billion by 2020, recording a growth rate of 92% as compared to Q1 2014.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:31 pm on 07 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Facebook denies removing viral shooting video

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:27 pm on 07 Jul 2016,Thursday

Facebook has denied censoring a viral video taken on Wednesday night after a police officer fatally shot a man in his car in Minnesota. “We’re very sorry that the video was temporarily inaccessible. It was down due to a technical glitch and restored as soon as we were able to investigate,” said a Facebook spokesperson.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:27 pm on 07 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Smartwatch can determine ATM pins: Study

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:34 pm on 07 Jul 2016,Thursday

According to a study by US-based researchers, wearable devices can determine user's ATM pin numbers and passwords by using reverse-engineering motion sensor data. The study revealed that the wearables can guess passwords with about 80% accuracy on the first attempt. To solve this problem, the team suggested that developers should blur sensitive data by introducing some sort of "noise data".

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:34 pm on 07 Jul

read more at Engadget

Google working on its own Android watch: Report

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:06 pm on 07 Jul 2016,Thursday

According to a report by the Android Police, Google is working on two Android Wear devices of its own, codenamed "Angelfish" and "Swordfish". With a diameter of 43.5 mm, the Angelfish will supposedly feature LTE, GPS and heart rate tracking. While, the Swordfish will be a bit smaller than the Angelfish and will lack LTE and GPS.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:06 pm on 07 Jul

read more at Engadget

Facebook to test offline video access in India

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:24 pm on 07 Jul 2016,Thursday

Facebook has announced that it will begin testing offline video access in India from July 11, by selectively rolling out an option to download videos during good internet connections to watch later. To avoid piracy, the company will securely lock the videos within its app, and such videos won't be visible in a device's local memory.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:24 pm on 07 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

US Navy funds bomb-sniffing locusts project

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:54 am on 07 Jul 2016,Thursday

A US Navy department has provided a three-year $750,000 grant to a project aimed at developing bomb-sniffing locusts. The researchers will use locusts' ability to identify particular scents, by implanting an electrode into its brains and reading the electrical activity. A backpack would also be attached on the insect's back to transmit data about the absence or presence of explosives.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:54 am on 07 Jul

read more at Engadget

Snapchat enables saving snaps indefinitely

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:53 am on 07 Jul 2016,Thursday

Snapchat on Wednesday introduced a new feature called 'Memories' that will allow its users to save snaps and stories indefinitely. The service, which initially enabled its users to communicate using images that were explicitly short-lived, will backup all the 'Memories' to its servers instead of users' camera roll. The new feature will start rolling out selectively over the next month.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:53 am on 07 Jul

read more at The Next Web

FB introduces wireless platform for remote areas

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:35 am on 07 Jul 2016,Thursday

Facebook on Wednesday introduced a low-cost wireless access hardware and software platform, called OpenCellular, aimed at improving connectivity in remote areas. The platform will support a variety of wireless networks, from 2G and LTE to Wi-Fi access points. The company said that it will open-source the platform so that anyone can deploy their own versions of the cellular networks.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:35 am on 07 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

World’s first digital camera took 0.01 MP photos

short by Vani Vivek / 10:07 am on 07 Jul 2016,Thursday

The world’s first digital camera, created in 1975, took photographs with a resolution of 0.01 megapixels. It took 23 seconds to capture one black-and-white image and store it on a magnetic tape cassette. Weighing about 4 kilograms, the camera was made by Kodak engineer Steven Sasson using parts discarded by the company’s manufacturing line.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:07 am on 07 Jul

read more at YouTube

Student-made device detects text's font, colours

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:06 am on 07 Jul 2016,Thursday

Fiona O'Leary, a student at the Royal College of Art, has developed a device called Spector, that can determine the shape, size, leading and weight of letters in a specific text. The device then cross-references this information to a database to match it to the correct font. It also has a mode to detect the colours present in the text.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:06 am on 07 Jul

read more at The Next Web

Microsoft Xbox avatars to get wheelchair option

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:39 pm on 06 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Microsoft is adding a wheelchair option for its Xbox game avatars through its upcoming update. The wheelchair option will be available for both female and male characters. However, it's not clear when the avatars will get the update. Earlier this year, toy maker Lego unveiled its first set including a mini-figure in a wheelchair.

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:39 pm on 06 Jul

read more at The Next Web

Man sets Google Street View car on fire in US

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:05 pm on 06 Jul 2016,Wednesday

A 30-year-old man was arrested outside the Google office in California, US for setting a Google Street View Car on fire on June 30. Guns and a device which bomb squad officers identified as a half-finished pipe bomb, were found in his car. The man told police that he attacked the car because he felt that Google was watching him.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:05 pm on 06 Jul

read more at The Guardian

NASA's RoboGlove to give better grip to workers

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:03 pm on 06 Jul 2016,Wednesday

A motor-assisted glove called 'RobotGlove' built jointly by NASA and the General Motors, was on Wednesday licensed by a Swedish medical technology firm Bioservo Technologies. RoboGlove includes pressure sensors and artificial tendons that multiply the force and grip of the wearer. General Motors said that it will test the glove in its plants situated in the United States.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:03 pm on 06 Jul

read more at Engadget

MS launches Skype Meetings for small businesses

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:16 pm on 06 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Microsoft on Tuesday launched 'Skype Meetings', a new free real-time audio and video conferencing tool specifically designed for small businesses, in the United States. For the initial two months, a maximum of 10 people will be allowed to join a meeting, through a personalised URL, which will drop to three later. It also allows PowerPoint collaboration and screen sharing.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:16 pm on 06 Jul

read more at YouTube

Google buys image recognition startup Moodstocks

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:18 pm on 06 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Google on Wednesday announced that it has acquired Moodstocks, a startup based out of Paris that develops machine-learning based image recognition technology for smartphones. Terms of the deal were not disclosed and it’s not clear how much Moodstocks had raised. Moodstocks said that its current paying customers will be able to use its services until the end of their subscription.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:18 pm on 06 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Gates marks 25 years of friendship with Buffett

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:41 pm on 06 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Bill Gates on Tuesday marked 25 years of his friendship with Berkshire Hathaway's CEO Warren Buffett through a post titled, '25 Years of Learning and Laughter.' Gates revealed that his mom persuaded him to be friends with Buffett in 1991. "Everyone should be lucky enough to have a friend who is as thoughtful and kind as Warren," the post said.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:41 pm on 06 Jul

read more at Engadget

Video explains technology on-board NASA's Juno

short by Vani Vivek / 05:36 pm on 06 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Scott Bolton, Principal Investigator of NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter, has explained the spacecraft's key on-board technology in a YouTube video in less than three minutes. The microwave radiometer will look below Jupiter's clouds for the first time and create a 3D image of its atmosphere, while the visible-light camera will capture unseen perspectives of Jupiter's north pole.

short by Vani Vivek / 05:36 pm on 06 Jul

read more at YouTube

LG, Volkswagen to develop connected car platform

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:57 pm on 06 Jul 2016,Wednesday

South Korea's LG electronics today said that it will work with German automaker Volkswagen to develop a connected car platform that will enable vehicles to communicate with external devices. The technologies built will allow drivers to control devices like lights and security systems in their homes. Further, they will also develop an alerting system that will provide 'suggestions' to drivers.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 04:57 pm on 06 Jul

read more at The Financial Express

Huawei uses DSLR shot to promote phone's camera

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:49 pm on 06 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Huawei was recently slammed for a promotional image claimed to be shot by its P9 smartphone, which was revealed to be taken from a $4500 Canon DSLR camera. The image's caption read, "The #HuaweiP9’s dual Leica cameras makes taking photos in low light conditions like this a pleasure.” However, Huawei later removed the image and issued an apology.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:49 pm on 06 Jul

read more at The Next Web

'Chinese ad firm infects 10mn Android devices'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:56 pm on 06 Jul 2016,Wednesday

According to a report by security firm 'Check Point', the 'Hummingbad' Android malware, which has infected around 10 million devices globally, is being spread by a Chinese advertising company, Yingmob. The malware reportedly generates up to $300,000 per month through fraudulent app installs and ad clicks, with the most affected devices found in China (1.6 million) and India (1.3 million).

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:56 pm on 06 Jul

read more at Engadget

Audio streaming tops videos in US for 1st time

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:57 am on 06 Jul 2016,Wednesday

According to a recent report by analytics provider BuzzAngle Music, streaming from audio apps like Spotify has surpassed those from video services like YouTube for the first time in the US. Audio streaming for the first six months rose by 107.8% from the same period last year to 114 billion streams, as against 95 billion streams for videos.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:57 am on 06 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Twitter adds former Facebook CTO to its board

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:41 am on 06 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Micro-blogging website Twitter on Tuesday appointed former Facebook Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Bret Taylor to its Board of Directors. Taylor, who is the Co-founder and the current CEO of the mobile word processing company 'Quip', is best-known as one of the founders of social networking startup 'FriendFeed', which was acquired by Facebook in 2009.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:41 am on 06 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Israeli startup makes smart gun lock 'Zore X'

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:24 am on 06 Jul 2016,Wednesday

An Israeli startup has made a smart gun lock 'Zore X' that allows quick access and provides tampering alerts to users. While the tampering alert is sent on the user's phone through an app, the lock prevents the gun from being loaded. It features a rotating dial to set a code that allows unlocking the gun even in the dark.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:24 am on 06 Jul

read more at YouTube

Google autonomous cars to read on-road cyclists

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:12 am on 06 Jul 2016,Wednesday

According to the latest report of Google's self-driving project, the company is enabling its autonomous cars to detect signals and behaviour of on-road cyclists. The designed system can detect and remember cyclists' hand signals for oncoming turns. The report also mentioned unique situations that the vehicles can handle, such as a cyclist riding against the flow or suddenly changing directions.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:12 am on 06 Jul

read more at Engadget

Tech to boost computer energy efficiency by 25%

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:34 am on 06 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Australian scientists in collaboration with Microsoft have developed a technique that could enable computer's operating system to share its processing power, thereby boosting its energy efficiency by 25%. "Computer servers spend a lot of time waiting around for search requests... By sneaking in other processes while they are waiting, we can use the computers more efficiently", a researcher said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:34 am on 06 Jul

read more at The Financial Express

Firm develops handheld device for PC games

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:09 am on 06 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Detroit-based firm PGS Labs has developed what it claims is the first handheld console for PC games. The device sports a Dualboot system, which allows it to switch between Windows 10 and Android Marshmallow. It features a 5.7-inch Quad HD display and offers 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM along with 64 GB or 128 GB of internal storage.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:09 am on 06 Jul

read more at Kickstarter

Cambridge man creates giant computer at home

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:07 am on 06 Jul 2016,Wednesday

Cambridge-based James Newman has developed a giant computer called Megaprocessor, which is 33 feet wide and 6 feet high, at his home. Having started working on the project in 2012, Newman spent almost $53,000 on the computer, that features 40,000 transistors, 10,000 LEDs and weighs around 500 kg. He has so far used the computer to play 'Tetris'.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:07 am on 06 Jul

read more at YouTube

Samsung launches 44 new TV models in India

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:59 pm on 05 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Samsung has launched 44 new TV models in India with the price tag starting from ₹28,000 up to ₹24 lakh. The launch comprises of SUHD TV series, which ranges from 49-inch to 88-inch and is priced between ₹1,79,900 and ₹23,99,900. The line-up also features Smart TV range available in 32-inch to 88-inch range with price from ₹34,500 to ₹7,03,900.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:59 pm on 05 Jul

Juno is the fastest ever human made object

short by Abhishek Bansal / 11:53 pm on 05 Jul 2016,Tuesday

NASA’s Jupiter mission, Juno spacecraft is the fastest human made object ever. Accelerated by Jupiter’s gravity, Juno's top speed is estimated at 265,000 km/h relative to the earth. The all-time speed record was previously held by NASA's Helios 1 and Helios 2 spacecraft, launched in the mid-1970s to study the sun.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 11:53 pm on 05 Jul

read more at Google

TU Delft robot wins Amazon Picking Challenge

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:36 pm on 05 Jul 2016,Tuesday

A robot made by engineers from the Netherlands-based Delft University of Technology has won the second annual Amazon Picking Challenge of packing and storing warehouse items. The flexible robot features an arm with seven degrees of freedom, high-quality 3D cameras and an in-house developed gripper. It is controlled by an advanced software based on artificial intelligence techniques.

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:36 pm on 05 Jul

read more at Engadget

Twitter's VP of International Operations quits

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:25 pm on 05 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Micro-blogging site Twitter's Vice President of International Operations, Shailesh Rao has quit the company. "After 4+ yrs growing the Intl business at @twitter, it’s time for new challenges. Around through July, then off to plot the next chapter!," tweeted Rao. Before joining Twitter in 2012, Rao worked with Google for seven years.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:25 pm on 05 Jul

read more at VCCircle

BlackBerry announces to kill its Classic model

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:25 pm on 05 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry on Tuesday announced it will no longer manufacture its Classic model, one of the company’s last smartphone models with a physical keyboard to input text. "The Classic has long surpassed the average lifespan for a smartphone in today’s market," said BlackBerry. The company is reportedly launching three new Android-based smartphones in the next three quarters.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:25 pm on 05 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Hacker reveals security bug in Lenovo laptops

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:38 pm on 05 Jul 2016,Tuesday

A security researcher, named Dmytro "Cr4sh" Oleksiuk, claims to have uncovered a flaw in Lenovo laptops that could let attackers circumvent Windows' basic security protocols. The company later said that the code responsible for the vulnerability came from Intel. Oleksiuk added that other manufacturers might have adopted the same code, having already identified one HP Pavillion laptop with the bug.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:38 pm on 05 Jul

read more at Engadget

Man pleads guilty to hacking celebrity accounts

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:06 pm on 05 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Twenty-eight-year-old Edward Majerczyk has agreed to plead guilty to fooling over 300 people, including 30 celebrities, into compromising their email accounts. The case is the second to arise from the 2014 'Celebgate' hacking scandal, where email accounts of celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton and Kaley Cuoco were hacked and their nude photos and videos were put online.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:06 pm on 05 Jul

read more at Engadget

Apple's app to allow organ donation in the US

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:41 pm on 05 Jul 2016,Tuesday

With its upcoming iOS 10 update this year, Apple will let iPhone users in the US to register themselves as organ donors through its Health app. Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the option may help to ease a longstanding donor shortage in the US. Notably, Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs faced an "excruciating" wait for a liver transplant in 2009.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:41 pm on 05 Jul

read more at The Guardian

TRAI launches app to track mobile data speed

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:45 pm on 05 Jul 2016,Tuesday

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday launched an app called 'MySpeed' that measures mobile's data speed of the users and sends results to the regulatory body. Available on Android and iOS platforms, it also sends device's location and other network information to TRAI. It does not share any personal information of its users and sends reports anonymously.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:45 pm on 05 Jul

Google's AI, NHS partner to spot eye diseases

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:56 pm on 05 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Google-owned Artificial Intelligence (AI) company DeepMind has partnered with the National Health Service (NHS) to create a machine learning system that can recognise early signs of eye diseases. The team will use one million anonymised eye scans to train the system. DeepMind Co-founder estimated that up to 98% of diabetes-caused sight loss can be prevented with early treatments.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:56 pm on 05 Jul

read more at The Guardian

Juno is named after Roman God Jupiter’s wife

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:54 pm on 05 Jul 2016,Tuesday

NASA’s mission to Jupiter is named after the Roman Goddess Juno, who is considered the wife of Roman God Jupiter. In Roman mythology, Jupiter drew a veil of clouds around himself for hiding. It was Juno who was able to peer through the clouds and reveal Jupiter's true nature. Notably, Juno is designed to study Jupiter's origin and evolution.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 06:54 pm on 05 Jul

read more at NASA

Juno carries 3 mini-statues to Jupiter

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:33 pm on 05 Jul 2016,Tuesday

NASA’s Jupiter mission, Juno spacecraft, is carrying three 1.5 inch Lego figures to Jupiter’s orbit - one is of Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, and other two of the Roman God, Jupiter and his wife, Juno. Galileo’s miniature has a telescope, Juno has a magnifying glass to signify her quest for truth, while Jupiter holds a lightning bolt.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 05:33 pm on 05 Jul

read more at NASA

Sensor turns any surface to music, gaming device

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:49 pm on 05 Jul 2016,Tuesday

A London-based startup has developed a smart sensor called 'Mogees Play', that turns any surface into a musical and gaming device. The sensor needs to be plugged into a smartphone or a tablet and then attached to any object. It senses vibrations in the objects when they are touched and converts them into sound or displays action on a screen.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:49 pm on 05 Jul

read more at YouTube

Details of 150k users leaked from dating website

short by Vani Vivek / 03:01 pm on 05 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Personal details of 1,50,000 users and over 7,00,000 private messages between members of Muslim Match, a dating website for Muslims, have reportedly been posted online following a hack. The website's homepage currently reads, "We have been made aware of an alleged security breach and are reviewing our systems as we work to remedy the situation and tighten our security."

short by Vani Vivek / 03:01 pm on 05 Jul

read more at Google

Search engines slammed over sex-determination sites

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 02:57 pm on 05 Jul 2016,Tuesday

The Supreme Court on Tuesday slammed search engines Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo for showing search results of the websites advertising sex-determination kits, tools and clinics. The court opined that the search engines can not continue to violate the law "in the name of being an intermediary". Further, the court asked the Centre to frame a memorandum to stop the 'abuse'.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 02:57 pm on 05 Jul

read more at ANI

Infidelity site Ashley Madison faces probe in US

short by Mansha Mahajan / 01:41 pm on 05 Jul 2016,Tuesday

Avid Life Media, owner of infidelity dating site Ashley Madison, is now facing an investigation by the US Federal Trade Commission, Chief Executive Rob Segal said in an interview. This comes after personal details of millions of the site's customers were exposed by hackers in 2015. The CEO has further apologised, stating that more could have been spent on security.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 01:41 pm on 05 Jul

read more at Reuters

Lenovo launches gaming laptop in India at ₹99k

short by Vani Vivek / 11:21 pm on 04 Jul 2016,Monday

Lenovo on Monday launched its new gaming laptop 'Lenovo Ideapad Y700' in India at ₹99,990. The 2.6-kg laptop runs on Windows 10 and comes with 1 TB in-built storage and 16 GB RAM. It features a 15.6-inch display and a depth-sensing 3D camera that lets users interact through hand gestures and even facial expressions.

short by Vani Vivek / 11:21 pm on 04 Jul

read more at The New Indian Express

'Smart ship' MSC Meraviglia to debut in June '17

short by Vani Vivek / 10:48 pm on 04 Jul 2016,Monday

Switzerland-based MSC Cruises will launch its first smart ship, MSC Meraviglia, in June 2017 to sail across the western Mediterranean. The ship, which can house 4,500 guests, features an indoor promenade with a 262-foot LED sky. In addition to two F1 simulators and a 5D cinema, the technologically advanced ship will also let guests pay for items using smart bracelets.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:48 pm on 04 Jul

read more at YouTube

Luxury 3D printer can print 4 materials at once

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:13 pm on 04 Jul 2016,Monday

Paris-based startup Pollen AM has developed a $8,900 luxury 3D printer called 'Pam' that can print up to four different materials at once. It has a printing resolution of up to 40 microns and printing speed up to 400 mm per second. The printer comes with its own software named Honeyprint, which can be controlled by any device from anywhere.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:13 pm on 04 Jul

read more at YouTube

BAE Systems' machine to chemically grow aircraft

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:23 pm on 04 Jul 2016,Monday

British multinational defence, security and aerospace company, BAE Systems has unveiled its plan to chemically grow aircraft through a machine called 'Chemputer'. According to scientists, the machine can make aircraft in large-scale labs through chemistry in weeks, rather than years. They added that the technology could use environmentally sustainable materials and support military operations.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:23 pm on 04 Jul

read more at Engadget

China's Hanergy unveils four solar car concepts

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:08 pm on 04 Jul 2016,Monday

Chinese solar power company Hanergy recently unveiled four fully solar-powered car concepts in Beijing namely Hanergy Solar R, Hanergy Solar O, Hanergy Solar L and Hanergy Solar A. The maximum area of the cars is covered by light weight thin-film solar cells, which allow up to 80 kilometres of travel after being in the sunlight for five to six hours.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:08 pm on 04 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

Cancer survivor receives 3D-printed jaw

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:53 pm on 04 Jul 2016,Monday

A 68-year-old cancer survivor, Shirley Anderson has received a 3D-printed silicon jaw after losing his tongue, lower jaw and Adam's apple during treatment. Indiana University's doctor Travis Bellicchi and his team generated the jaw's 3D model after taking photos of Anderson’s face from different angles. The 3D-printed jaw is lighter, cheaper and looks more natural than the traditional clay jaws.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:53 pm on 04 Jul

read more at Engadget

GoT map shows routes taken by characters

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:33 pm on 04 Jul 2016,Monday

An interactive map of the popular television series 'Game of Thrones' shows users the routes travelled by the various characters. Called 'Quartermaester', the map can be used to search specific towns in fictional continents featured in the series. Further, a 'spoiler filter' in the map shows the content only to the point a user has watched the series.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:33 pm on 04 Jul

read more at YouTube

Researchers create TV remote control for dogs

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:46 pm on 03 Jul 2016,Sunday

Researchers have created a television remote control that lets dogs switch between different channels. It has extra-large controls, a multi-coloured design for better visibility, and thick plastic so that the dogs cannot chew through the wires. Currently being tested by 20 dogs and their owners, researchers plan to launch the remote in the market at $66 next year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:46 pm on 03 Jul

read more at Daily Mail

World's 1st transparent directional speaker made

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:52 pm on 03 Jul 2016,Sunday

US-based audio devices maker Turtle Beach has developed 'HyperSound Glass', which the company claims, is the world's first transparent directional speaker. Comprised of multiple layers of transparent materials and film which allows it to generate a beam of ultrasound, the speaker is only audible to the targeted listeners. The speaker is currently in the early prototype phase.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:52 pm on 03 Jul

read more at YouTube

No room for content promoting violence: Facebook

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:29 pm on 03 Jul 2016,Sunday

Facebook on Sunday said, "There is no room for content that promotes violence, direct threats, terrorist or hate speeches on our platform,'' adding, ''We work regularly with safety organisations and policymakers worldwide, including Israel, to ensure people know how to make safe use of Facebook." An Israeli minister earlier accused Facebook of not doing enough to prevent incitement against Israel.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:29 pm on 03 Jul

read more at Reuters

Researchers make game to help people lose weight

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:31 pm on 03 Jul 2016,Sunday

Drexel University researchers have created a computer game called 'DietDash' which they claim, can help the people lose weight. It asks players to respond to images of sugary as well as healthy foods to improve their inhibitory control. An app called 'DietAlert' has also been created that learns the users' eating patterns to help them stick to their diet plans.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:31 pm on 03 Jul

read more at The Financial Express

Facebook has become a monster: Israeli minister

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:09 pm on 03 Jul 2016,Sunday

Israel's Minister of Public Security, Gilad Erdan on Saturday said, "Facebook, which brought an amazing, positive revolution to the world, sadly, since the rise of Islamic State...has simply become a monster." He further accused Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg of not doing enough to prevent incitement against Israel, adding that the social media platform was "sabotaging" Israeli police work.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:09 pm on 03 Jul

read more at Reuters

Retired pilot makes automatic breakfast machine

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:42 pm on 03 Jul 2016,Sunday

A 69-year-old retired pilot, Peter Browne with his friend Mervyn Huggett has created an automatic breakfast machine that boils eggs, makes toast, tea, coffee, and hands over newspapers at the push of a button. The machine took around 1,000 hours over three months to get completed. The aluminium and steel bodied machine includes 13 DC motors and eight microprocessors.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:42 pm on 03 Jul

read more at YouTube

Apps should have flexibility for free data: Nasscom

short by Mansha Mahajan / 10:10 am on 03 Jul 2016,Sunday

IT industry body Nasscom has said that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) should offer total flexibility to apps and websites for deciding on provisions for rewarding free data to customers. Responding to a consultation paper issued by the telecom regulator, Nasscom further invoked net neutrality to suggest that operators should not influence the content viewed by customers.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 10:10 am on 03 Jul

read more at India Today

San Francisco mulls 'Tech tax' to house the poor

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:36 pm on 02 Jul 2016,Saturday

San Francisco is seeking to put a 'Tech tax' bill for a citywide vote in November this year. The bill states that the city's large technology employers, potentially including Google, Twitter, Uber, Airbnb and Salesforce, would need to pay a 1.5% payroll tax. An estimated $120 million revenue from tax will be used to provide affordable housing to the poor.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:36 pm on 02 Jul

read more at The Guardian

UNHRC resolves against internet restrictions

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 09:15 pm on 02 Jul 2016,Saturday

The UN Human Rights Council on Friday passed a non-binding resolution which condemns violations, including arbitrary detention and torture, against anyone expressing themselves on the internet. The UNHRC also called on all nations to halt attempts to restrict access to information online. It noted that online privacy is essential to realise the right to freedom of expression.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 09:15 pm on 02 Jul

read more at Engadget

Marissa Mayer gets re-elected to Yahoo's board

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:34 pm on 02 Jul 2016,Saturday

Yahoo's President and Chief Executive Officer, Marissa Mayer was re-elected to the company's board during the annual shareholders meeting held this week. However, according to a Yahoo regulatory filing, Mayer received the lowest number of votes for her re-election to the board. Mayer also accounted for the most negative votes received against a candidate.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:34 pm on 02 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

Xbox gaming headset launched in India at ₹9,999

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:34 pm on 02 Jul 2016,Saturday

HyperX, a division of American technology company Kingston, has launched the CloudX Pro Gaming headset in India designed specifically for Xbox users at ₹9,999. Microsoft and HyperX had partnered up in January to develop a licensed headset for the Xbox One. The headset matches the style of the Xbox One controller, featuring a silver aluminum frame with matte black finish.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:34 pm on 02 Jul

World's first tennis practice drone made

short by Dishant Sharma / 07:34 pm on 02 Jul 2016,Saturday

Virgin Group-owned chain of health clubs 'Virgin Active' has developed what it claims to be the first drone that helps in tennis training. Called the 'Drone-ovic', the drone is capable of dropping balls from angles and heights which are not achievable by ball machines. It also features a 4K camera that allows players to analyse technical aspects of their game.

short by Dishant Sharma / 07:34 pm on 02 Jul

read more at YouTube

Apple sued in China over showing 1990s war film

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:32 pm on 02 Jul 2016,Saturday

A subsidiary of China's broadcasting regulator has sued Apple over showing a war film made in the 1990s. According to a Beijing court, Apple has infringed the film's production centre's exclusive online rights to broadcast a film depicting Chinese fighting the Japanese soldiers in the early 1930s. The centre also sued the app that enabled users to watch the film.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:32 pm on 02 Jul

read more at India Today

Spotify asking for preferential treatment: Apple

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:50 pm on 02 Jul 2016,Saturday

Apple has said that the music streaming app Spotify is asking for "preferential treatment" in the App Store's approval process. This comes after Spotify accused Apple of blocking the app's update to prevent it from competing with Apple Music. "We find it troubling that you are asking for exemptions to the rules we apply to all developers," said Apple.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:50 pm on 02 Jul

read more at The Verge

Five companies considered buying LinkedIn

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:19 pm on 02 Jul 2016,Saturday

According to a new filing, five companies considered buying LinkedIn, which was acquired by Microsoft last month in an all-cash deal worth $26.2 billion. The five companies include Salesforce, Alphabet, Facebook, Oracle and IBM. The filing also says that LinkedIn is subject to a $725 million breakup fee if it terminates the merger agreement with Microsoft.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:19 pm on 02 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

SBI launches social media banking platform

short by Mansha Mahajan / 09:32 am on 02 Jul 2016,Saturday

India's largest lender State Bank of India on Friday launched a social media banking platform 'SBI Mingle', enabling customers to access a host of banking services through their Facebook and Twitter accounts. Further, SBI has partnered with e-commerce firm Flipkart to offer pre-approved EMI facility on purchases and launched 'SBI Digital Villages' to include villages in the cashless ecosystem.

short by Mansha Mahajan / 09:32 am on 02 Jul

read more at The Financial Express

FB launches tool to help charities raise funds

short by Sanira Mediratta / 02:03 am on 02 Jul 2016,Saturday

Facebook on Friday launched a new tool in the US to let individuals create personal fundraisers for verified charities. The feature created by the company's 'Social Good' team includes an option for online donations. Last year, Facebook had launched a tool to allow non-profits to run similar fundraising campaigns.

short by Sanira Mediratta / 02:03 am on 02 Jul

read more at The Next Web

Android 1.0 & 1.1 were not named after desserts

short by Abhishek Bansal / 02:01 am on 02 Jul 2016,Saturday

Unlike Google’s tradition of naming Android versions after desserts in an alphabetic order, the first two versions were called Android 1.0 and 1.1. The first version to be named after a dessert was Android 1.5, named Cupcake. The subsequent versions were called Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, Kitkat, Lollipop, Marshmallow, and the latest one, Nougat.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 02:01 am on 02 Jul

read more at Google

Spotify slams Apple over rejected app update

short by Sanira Mediratta / 01:42 am on 02 Jul 2016,Saturday

Music streaming service Spotify has complained to Apple after it rejected an update of its app. Spotify General Counsel Horacio Gutierrez said, "It continues a troubling pattern of behavior by Apple to exclude and diminish the competitiveness of Spotify on iOS and as a rival to Apple Music". Apple has reportedly turned down the update under "business model rules".

short by Sanira Mediratta / 01:42 am on 02 Jul

read more at Reuters

New program to reduce population in US prisons

short by Sanira Mediratta / 01:40 am on 02 Jul 2016,Saturday

The White House has announced a program that will use data analytics to help reduce the prison population in the US. Called the 'Data-Driven Justice Initiative', the program will filter out low-level offenders and people suffering from mental illness. Tech companies including Amazon, Palantir, and MasterCard will be taking part in the initiative.

short by Sanira Mediratta / 01:40 am on 02 Jul

read more at Recode

US Senators will no longer be issued BlackBerry

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:32 pm on 01 Jul 2016,Friday

The US Senators have been informed that BlackBerry smartphones will no longer be issued for official purpose after the already-limited supplies run out. The US officials have been using BlackBerry smartphones over the years for their long battery life, Qwerty keyboards and strong privacy features. Earlier this April, senior White House aides were permitted to switch to iPhones from BlackBerry.

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:32 pm on 01 Jul

read more at The Verge

Holland gets world’s 1st nationwide IoT network

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:52 pm on 01 Jul 2016,Friday

Holland has become the world's first country to have a nationwide low-range or LoRa network for enabling Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Launched by Dutch telecom company KPN, the network connects IoT devices to transfer data between them without a local Wi-Fi connection. The network took a total of eight months to be spread across the country.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:52 pm on 01 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Samsung Gear users to get VR Olympics coverage

short by Saloni Tandon / 08:47 pm on 01 Jul 2016,Friday

American channel NBC has announced it will offer 85 hours of virtual reality content to Samsung Gear VR headset users during its Rio Olympics coverage. The opening and closing ceremonies, besides few sports events, will be VR-available on NBC's Sports app. With plans of 4,500 hours in coverage, NBC is calling the Rio Games as the "most live Olympics ever".

short by Saloni Tandon / 08:47 pm on 01 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Tim Cook named Nike's lead independent director

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:23 pm on 01 Jul 2016,Friday

Apple CEO Tim Cook was on Thursday appointed as the lead independent director of Nike's Board. Cook, a Nike director since 2005, is Chairman of the Board’s Compensation Committee and also serves as a member of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee. Cook's appointment comes after Nike Chairman Phil Knight retired from the Nike's Board of Directors.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:23 pm on 01 Jul

read more at Engadget

Facebook to shut down its news reading app Paper

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:47 pm on 01 Jul 2016,Friday

Facebook has pulled its news reading app Paper from Apple's App Store and will discontinue support for the app's existing downloads on July 29 this year. However, a part of the app will live on as design elements and features in Facebook’s Instant Articles. Launched in 2014, the app served as a phone-based equivalent of a newspaper or magazine.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:47 pm on 01 Jul

read more at TechCrunch

Hajj pilgrims to wear e-bracelets for safety

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:54 pm on 01 Jul 2016,Friday

Pilgrims joining this year's Hajj will have to wear an electronic bracelet for their safety. The high-tech bracelets will contain personal and medical information of the pilgrims to help the authorities identify people and provide them with care, if needed. The water-resistant and GPS-enabled bracelets will also provide timings of prayers and a multi-lingual help desk to guide non-Arabic speakers.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:54 pm on 01 Jul

read more at Daily Mail

BlackBerry to launch three new Android phones

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:58 pm on 01 Jul 2016,Friday

BlackBerry is reportedly set to introduce three new Android smartphones in the next three quarters by launching one phone per quarter. Named Neon, Argon and Mercury, the phones will be released chronologically and will get more expensive and higher in specifications with every launch. BlackBerry released its first Android powered smartphone Priv last year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:58 pm on 01 Jul

read more at VentureBeat

Oracle told to pay $3B to HP for contract breach

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:29 pm on 01 Jul 2016,Friday

A California jury on Thursday ordered Oracle to pay $3 billion in damages to Hewlett Packard (HP) for breaching a contract to support software for HP's Itanium chip in 2011. According to Bloomberg, the verdict is so far the largest in the United States this year. Oracle said that it will appeal the verdict.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:29 pm on 01 Jul

read more at Bloomberg

Sundar Pichai gets Great Immigrants award in USA

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 10:36 am on 01 Jul 2016,Friday

Google CEO Sundar Pichai is among the four Indian-Americans who have been awarded the 'Great Immigrants: The Pride of America' award in the United States. National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author Bharati Mukherjee, and PBS NewsHour anchor Hari Sreenivasan are among the other Indians on the list. The Carnegie Foundation conferred the annual Great Immigrants award on 42 US nationals.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 10:36 am on 01 Jul

Was ready with a bottle of Nutella, tweets user

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:05 pm on 30 Jun 2016,Thursday

Expressing disappointment at the announcement of 'Nougat' as the name of Android N, a user tweeted, "Android N is Nougat. I was ready with a bottle of Nutella Google.Thanks for ruining it". While some other tweets read "Android N is now Nougat. I like the letter 'N' better" and "Wait, they didn't name Android N 'Android Null-Pointer Exception'? Missed opportunity".

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:05 pm on 30 Jun

read more at Tweets

Indian researchers to study health impacts of 5G

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:10 pm on 30 Jun 2016,Thursday

A group of researchers from India and New Zealand will investigate the possibilities of health impacts of electromagnetic radiation caused by the 5G networks. The project aims to develop new techniques to assess 5G wireless signals and their electromagnetic exposure to humans. The findings will be compared against the existing thresholds that have been set by several regulatory bodies.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:10 pm on 30 Jun

Google names Android N version 'Nougat'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:05 pm on 30 Jun 2016,Thursday

Google on Thursday announced 'Nougat' as the name for the upcoming Android version 'Android N', continuing the dessert-themed names for the operating system. 'Nougat' refers to the family of sweets made from honey, nuts and egg white. This was the first time that the company crowd-sourced the name of the mobile operating system.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:05 pm on 30 Jun

read more at Engadget

Google offices in Madrid raided in tax probe

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:06 pm on 30 Jun 2016,Thursday

Spanish officials raided Google offices in Madrid on Thursday as part of a tax investigation, according to the authorities. A Google spokeswoman said in a statement that the company complied with fiscal legislation in Spain just as it did in all other countries. Notably, the company headquarters in France was also raided in a tax probe in May.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:06 pm on 30 Jun

read more at Reuters

IBM researchers find new way to recycle e-waste

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:05 pm on 30 Jun 2016,Thursday

IBM researchers have discovered a one-step recycling process to help convert old smartphones and CDs into non-toxic, high-strength plastics that can be used for water purification, fiber optics and medical equipment. The team added a fluoride reactant and heat to old CDs to create this new plastic that showed to have better temperature and chemical resistance than the original substance.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:05 pm on 30 Jun

Smart measuring tape saves readings, voice memos

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:21 pm on 30 Jun 2016,Thursday

California-based startup Bagel Labs has created a digital measuring tape that can save measurements, record voice memos and send data to its companion mobile app. It features three different modes of measuring distances – string, wheel and remote. The device can be used to measure distances up to 10 feet using a string that can withstand up to 50 kgs.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:21 pm on 30 Jun

read more at Engadget

Zuckerberg's neighbours upset over six-foot wall

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:09 pm on 30 Jun 2016,Thursday

Neighbours of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg are upset over a newly built six-foot wall around his $100 million resort at the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The wall has reportedly blocked the neighbours' view of the ocean. "When we drove along the road we could see the ocean and see through the property, it's closing off that view," said a neighbour.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:09 pm on 30 Jun

read more at Daily Mail

Google buys power from yet to launch wind farms

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:33 pm on 30 Jun 2016,Thursday

Google has bought the entire energy output of two new yet-to-be-built wind farms in Norway and Sweden, which equates to 236 MW of power, to supply its European data centers. The Norwegian 50-turbine farm will be built in 2017, while the 22-turbine farm in Sweden will be completed in 2018. With this, Google has purchased almost 2.5 GW energy worldwide.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:33 pm on 30 Jun

read more at Google Blog

Google Maps allows navigating multiple locations

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:32 pm on 30 Jun 2016,Thursday

The Google Maps app has allowed its Android users to navigate to multiple destinations at the same time. The new feature called 'Add Stop' appears on searching a destination, to let users look up additional stops and then navigate their way. The feature is aimed to help users who have to visit different places on a single day.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:32 pm on 30 Jun

read more at The Next Web

Facebook updates News Feed to show friends first

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:39 pm on 30 Jun 2016,Thursday

Facebook on Wednesday announced an update to its News Feed to show users more posts from friends and family than publishers. Facebook said, "We are not in the business of picking which issues the world should read about. We are in the business of connecting people and ideas." Facebook added that the update may reduce traffic on some Pages.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:39 pm on 30 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Xiaomi Mi Max phone launched in India at ₹14,999

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:33 pm on 30 Jun 2016,Thursday

Xiaomi on Thursday launched its Mi Max smartphone in India at a starting price of ₹14,999. The handset runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and features a 6.44-inch display, 3 GB RAM, 32 GB memory, 16 MP rear camera and Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor. Scheduled for a flash sale on July 6, it will come to stores on July 13.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:33 pm on 30 Jun

Google undersea cable connecting US, Japan live

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:02 pm on 30 Jun 2016,Thursday

A $300 million undersea internet cable called 'Faster' funded by Google and five other companies to connect US and Japan went live on Thursday. The 9,000-kilometre cable lands in Oregon in the US and two landing points in Japan namely Chiba and Mie prefectures. The cable's capacity of 60 Tbps is reportedly 10 million times faster than a cable modem.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:02 pm on 30 Jun

read more at Engadget

Microsoft CEO Nadella writing book 'Hit Refresh'

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:54 pm on 30 Jun 2016,Thursday

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is writing his first book titled 'Hit Refresh' that describes his life, the company, and how technology will shape the future. The book is scheduled to release in the fall of 2017 through publisher Harper Business. Nadella intends to give the proceeds of the book to Microsoft Philanthropies for funding non-profits working on public cloud projects.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:54 pm on 30 Jun

read more at The Verge

Hacker names himself CEO on Oculus CEO's Twitter

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:24 pm on 30 Jun 2016,Thursday

Twitter account of Oculus Co-founder and CEO, Brendan Iribe was on Wednesday took over by a hacker who announced himself as the new CEO of the virtual reality company. "We here @oculus are very excited to announce our new CEO. @Lid !," tweeted the hacker. Earlier this month, Twitter accounts of Travis Kalanick, Mark Zuckerberg and others were also hacked.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:24 pm on 30 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

SanDisk announces world's fastest 256GB microSD

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:04 am on 30 Jun 2016,Thursday

SanDisk on Wednesday introduced '256GB SanDisk Extreme', which it claims is the fastest microSD card in its class, with transfer speeds of up to 100 MB/s and a price tag of $200. The company also introduced the '256GB SanDisk Ultra' priced at $150, which is optimised for mainstream consumers and can offer transfer speeds of up to 95 MB/s.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:04 am on 30 Jun

read more at The Verge

Amazon named world's smartest company of 2016

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:44 am on 30 Jun 2016,Thursday

Jeff Bezos-led online retail giant Amazon has topped MIT's annual list of the world's smartest companies of 2016 for combining innovative technology with an effective business model. Chinese web services company Baidu and the world’s largest DNA-sequencing company Illumina have been ranked second and third respectively. The list also includes Tesla Motors, Alphabet, Facebook, SpaceX and Snapchat.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:44 am on 30 Jun

read more at Apple

Device allows measuring sperm quality at home

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:06 pm on 29 Jun 2016,Wednesday

US-based biotech startup Sandstone Diagnostics has got FDA clearance for its male fertility testing device called ‘Trak’. While the device enables users to measure semen quality at home, a dedicated app provides feedback and wellness advice on ways to improve and track sperm count. The startup will start shipping its product by the end of summer this year.

short by Abhishek Bansal / 10:06 pm on 29 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Swiss researchers create salamander-like robot

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:54 pm on 29 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology have created a robot, dubbed Pleurobot, that mimics a real salamander's movements on land and in water. The robot, for which the team studied X-ray videos showing the amphibian walking and swimming, is made of 3D-printed bones, motorized joints and an electronic circuitry that serves as the synthetic central nervous system.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:54 pm on 29 Jun

read more at Engadget

AI beats human expert in aerial combat simulator

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:54 pm on 29 Jun 2016,Wednesday

ALPHA, an AI developed by American graduate Nick Ernest, has defeated a retired US Air Force Colonel Gene Lee in an aerial combat simulator. It could consider and coordinate the best tactical plan over 250 times faster than human opponents could blink, Ernest said. While, according to Lee, it is "the most aggressive, responsive, dynamic and credible AI" he's seen.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:54 pm on 29 Jun

read more at Phys

Privacy notice to protect data a hoax: Facebook

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:44 pm on 29 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Facebook on Wednesday clarified that the widely shared privacy notice claiming to protect users' data on its platform is actually a hoax. The company issued a fact-check statement that said, "Don’t believe it. Our terms say clearly: You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook." The hoax had also surfaced earlier in 2012, 2014 and 2015.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:44 pm on 29 Jun

South Korea tops global internet speed at 29Mbps

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:43 pm on 29 Jun 2016,Wednesday

South Korea has retained the top spot in internet speed globally with an average speed of 29 Mbps in the first quarter of 2016, according to an Akamai report. Norway and Sweden were ranked second and third respectively. Further, the United Kingdom led the average mobile connection speeds worldwide at 27.9 Mbps.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:43 pm on 29 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Badminton-playing robot developed

short by Davis James / 08:03 pm on 29 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Students and teachers at the University of Electronic Science and Technology, China, have developed a robot, nicknamed 'Robomintoner', that can play badminton. It uses a camera and has a binocular vision system, imitating humans, to locate the flying shuttlecock. It then uses Bluetooth to communicate the data to a base station to determine where the shuttlecock is likely to land.

short by Davis James / 08:03 pm on 29 Jun

read more at Google

Dell unveils 70-inch touchscreen for classroom

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:02 pm on 28 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Dell on Monday announced three new interactive display products, including a 70-inch touchscreen, for active learning, classrooms, and conference rooms. Designed to replace interactive whiteboards in schools and boardrooms, the $5,000 display offers 1080 pixels of resolution, can handle 10-finger touch and comes with two styluses. In addition, the company unveiled two new interactive projectors.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:02 pm on 28 Jun

read more at Engadget

Startup creates face-recognising robot 'Cozmo'

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:49 pm on 28 Jun 2016,Tuesday

US-based artificial intelligence startup Anki has created a palm-sized smart robot called 'Cozmo', that recognises and remembers people's faces. Anki claims that Cozmo can process more data per second than all the NASA Mars Rovers combined. It nudges users if they haven't played with it in a while, and its battery lasts up to two hours in a single charge.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:49 pm on 28 Jun

read more at YouTube

Google announces platform to teach kids coding

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:37 pm on 28 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Google on Monday announced 'Project Bloks', a hardware platform that will help educators build physical programming experiences to help kids learn to code. It consists of a 'Brain Board' that acts as the central processor and communicates with 'Base Boards' and 'Pucks'. Pucks are simple instructions that are passed on to the Base Board featuring haptic motors for real-time feedback.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:37 pm on 28 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Man builds working model of Falcon 9 rocket

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:18 pm on 28 Jun 2016,Tuesday

According to The Verge, a YouTube user who goes by the name 'ajw61185' has posted a video showcasing his remote-controlled model of Elon Musk-owned SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 rocket. In the video, the model tries a landing on a barge in a pool. The model can deploy its legs mid-flight and features an attachable 'flame' that mimics the propulsive landing.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:18 pm on 28 Jun

read more at The Verge

Elon Musk sold 1st firm and bought a McLaren F1 car

short by Satyaki Das / 09:14 pm on 28 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Tesla CEO Elon Musk bought a silver McLaren F1 car for $1 million in 1999 after selling his first company Zip2. "There are 62 McLaren F1s in the world, and I will own one of them," Musk had commented then. In 2000, Musk was driving his McLaren F1 with Peter Thiel, his fellow Co-founder at PayPal, when he crashed it.

short by Satyaki Das / 09:14 pm on 28 Jun

read more at YouTube

HP unveils 'Chromebook 11 G5' starting from $189

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:10 pm on 28 Jun 2016,Tuesday

HP on Monday unveiled a new Chrome OS notebook called the 'Chromebook 11 G5' with a starting price of $189. The 1.13 kg notebook, which features an 11.6-inch touchscreen display, offers up to 11 hours of battery life with touchscreen and up to 12.5 hours when the touchscreen is disabled. It will be available through HP partners from July.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:10 pm on 28 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Hashtag inventor launches his own chatbot

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:03 pm on 28 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Chris Messina, who is known for inventing the hashtag, on Tuesday launched his own personal assistant chatbot for Facebook Messenger, named MessinaBot. It will help people who want to reach out to Messina to check out his recent posts and comments on Product Hunt, podcasts, articles and upcoming events. The bot will also help schedule a one-on-one chat with Messina.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:03 pm on 28 Jun

read more at VentureBeat

Artist creates laser-powered drum machine

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:02 pm on 28 Jun 2016,Tuesday

A Russian artist has created a laser-powered drum machine installation called 'Divider' which uses seven lasers to send light through high-speed fans, generating sound. The system, which was inspired from the world's first electronic drum named 'Rhythmicon', works by turning picked-up beams into rhythmic impulses. The fans can each spin at variable speeds to create a range of different sounds.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:02 pm on 28 Jun

read more at Engadget

Facebook launches slideshow feature for photos

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:25 pm on 28 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Facebook on Tuesday launched a new feature for photos called 'Slideshows'. It will pre-make a slideshow of more than five photos or videos taken by users in the last 24 hours and pop it in their News Feed. Available currently on iOS, the feature will also let users customise their slideshows through 10 different themes including nostalgic, playful and bollywood.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:25 pm on 28 Jun

read more at YouTube

Microsoft makes Game of Thrones themed Xbox One

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:14 pm on 28 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Microsoft has unveiled a limited edition of its Xbox One gaming console which is inspired by the popular television series Game of Thrones. The console has been made to mark the finale of the sixth season of the series. Only six units of the console will be made, which can be won through contests conducted by Microsoft on social media.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:14 pm on 28 Jun

read more at The Next Web

Pichai's Quora was hacked to promote security

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:43 pm on 28 Jun 2016,Tuesday

OurMine, the group which claimed responsibility for hacking Sundar Pichai's Quora and Mark Zuckerberg's Twitter and Pinterest accounts, said that it's going after high-profile accounts to promote better security practices. The three-member team of teenagers scans the security of social media accounts and websites in exchange for a fee. The group currently has 34 customers, said an OurMine member.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:43 pm on 28 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Microsoft pays $10k to woman for a failed update

short by Vani Vivek / 12:36 am on 28 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Microsoft has paid $10,000 in compensation to a California woman after an automatic Windows 10 update failed to install on her Windows 7 computer. The woman sued Microsoft for the failed update that made her computer unstable and often unresponsive. "I had never heard of Windows 10. Nobody ever asked me if I wanted to update," said the customer.

short by Vani Vivek / 12:36 am on 28 Jun

read more at The Guardian

Smart helmet navigates cyclists to destination

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:45 pm on 27 Jun 2016,Monday

US-based startup Brooklyness has developed a $299 smart helmet for cyclists called 'Classon', which navigates riders to their selected location. It has indicator lights, which light up by sensing hand gestures. Further, cameras installed within the helmet record every ride, footage of which can serve as evidence during an accident.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:45 pm on 27 Jun

read more at YouTube

Twitter announces searchable photo stickers

short by Vani Vivek / 10:31 pm on 27 Jun 2016,Monday

Twitter on Monday announced a new image-editing feature called '#Stickers' to let users add emojis, props and accessories to make their photos searchable. Tapping on a sticker in a tweeted photo will take users to a new timeline, where they can see how others are using that sticker. The feature will launch across all platforms in the next few weeks.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:31 pm on 27 Jun

read more at Twitter

Thermal cameras to find motors at Tour de France

short by Saloni Tandon / 09:07 pm on 27 Jun 2016,Monday

Thermal cameras will be used to detect hidden motors in bicycles in the upcoming Tour de France, the French Sports Secretary of State announced on Monday. The technology will be used besides magnetic resonance, used by the International Cycling Union, which detected a motor earlier this year in the bike of a Belgian cyclist at the Under-23 Cyclocross World Championships.

short by Saloni Tandon / 09:07 pm on 27 Jun

read more at Reuters

Apple gifts rainbow Watch bands to its employees

short by Vani Vivek / 07:22 pm on 27 Jun 2016,Monday

Apple gifted rainbow-coloured Apple Watch bands to its employees who participated in San Francisco's annual LGBT-rights celebration parade on Sunday. The bands were accompanied by a note that read, "This limited-edition band is a symbol of our commitment to equality and we hope you'll wear it with pride." However, Apple didn't clarify if the bands will be sold commercially.

short by Vani Vivek / 07:22 pm on 27 Jun

read more at The Next Web

Google to make its own handset this year: Report

short by Vani Vivek / 06:12 pm on 27 Jun 2016,Monday

Google is reportedly in discussions with mobile operators about releasing a Google-branded phone that will extend the company’s move into hardware. It plans to launch the handset by the end of this year. Until now, Google has partnered with hardware firms like Samsung, LG, Huawei and HTC to develop Nexus devices.

short by Vani Vivek / 06:12 pm on 27 Jun

read more at Engadget

Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s Quora account hacked

short by Vani Vivek / 04:40 pm on 27 Jun 2016,Monday

The Quora account of Google CEO Sundar Pichai was briefly hacked on Monday by a group of hackers called OurMine. The group posted messages on Pichai's Quora account, that also appeared on his connected Twitter handle. Earlier this month, OurMine had claimed responsibility for hacking Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's Twitter and Pinterest accounts.

short by Vani Vivek / 04:40 pm on 27 Jun

read more at The Next Web

Man builds X-Men inspired flame throwing helmet

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:29 pm on 27 Jun 2016,Monday

A YouTuber named Sufficiently Advanced has built an X-Men inspired flame throwing helmet and named it 'Cyclops Visor'. It is a welding helmet with a fuel tank, a pump, nozzles and pilot lights. On activating a switch on the side of the helmet, it shoots a jet of flames mixed with fuel to a distance of around ten feet.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:29 pm on 27 Jun

read more at YouTube

Chrome vulnerability allows pirating movies

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:01 pm on 26 Jun 2016,Sunday

Researchers claim to have found a vulnerability in Google's Chrome browser which could allow illegally saving copies of content being streamed on it through sites like Netflix. The researchers have created a proof-of-concept file demonstrating how it can exploit the vulnerability. Google was alerted about the problem, however, it is yet to issue a patch for the same.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:01 pm on 26 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

US marks its first ship-to-shore drone delivery

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:59 pm on 26 Jun 2016,Sunday

The United States recently witnessed its first ever successful ship-to-shore drone delivery. A drone successfully delivered medical supplies to the New Jersey coastline straight from the deck of a ship. The delivery was made to test whether drones could be used to carry medical supplies to humans in areas which cannot be accessed during storms, earthquakes or other disasters.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:59 pm on 26 Jun

read more at YouTube

'Firms start auto-removal of extremist content'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:35 pm on 26 Jun 2016,Sunday

According to a report by Reuters, internet giants including YouTube and Facebook have started using automation to remove extremist content from their sites. The technology, which was originally developed to identify copyright-protected content, looks for a unique digital fingerprint assigned to specific videos, allowing the companies to remove all content with matching fingerprints rapidly.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:35 pm on 26 Jun

read more at Reuters

Seoul gets traffic signs for smartphone users

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:45 pm on 26 Jun 2016,Sunday

In a pilot program, Seoul has installed traffic signs to alert pedestrians of the danger of using smartphones while walking on the street. The signs have been put in five areas which witnessed high cases of smartphone-related accidents of citizens aged between 10-30 years. One of the signs reads "Walk Safely" to alert pedestrians looking at their smartphones while walking.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:45 pm on 26 Jun

read more at Mashable

Android was originally developed for cameras

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 12:55 pm on 26 Jun 2016,Sunday

The Android Operating System was originally built as a software platform for digital cameras, Android Co-founder Andy Rubin had revealed in 2013. Following the take off of smartphones, they thought that digital cameras wasn't a big enough market and tweaked the system to make it compatible for smartphones. Android was acquired by Google in 2005 for a reported $50 million.

short by Vaibhav Gupta / 12:55 pm on 26 Jun

read more at Google

Sketch-based online shopping algorithm created

short by Dishant Sharma / 04:21 am on 26 Jun 2016,Sunday

Scientists at the Queen Mary University of London have developed a sketch-based image retrieval system which could help online shopping consumers search for a product by drawing it. The system's top 10 product retrieval accuracy is claimed to be close to 100% in some product categories. It was trained to match drawings to photos by learning interpretations of hand-drawn sketches.

short by Dishant Sharma / 04:21 am on 26 Jun

read more at Phys

Firm develops multifunction antenna for laptops

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:09 am on 26 Jun 2016,Sunday

British startup, SAT has developed what it claims to be the world's first multifunction antenna for laptops that can replace five antennas for Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, 3G/4G LTE and WiGig. Conventional antennas can't be located next to each other because of signal interference, company Co-founder said, and added that wrapping five functionalities into one will help reduce size and cost.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:09 am on 26 Jun

read more at Hindustan Times

Alphabet unveils home robot dog 'SpotMini'

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:41 pm on 25 Jun 2016,Saturday

Google's holding company, Alphabet recently unveiled 'SpotMini', a home robot dog made by its subsidiary Boston Dynamics. One of its quietest robots, SpotMini can pick up objects with its articulated arm, arrange dishes in dishwasher and put trash in the dustbin. The robot, capable of operating outdoors and on variable terrain, runs for about 90 minutes on a single charge.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:41 pm on 25 Jun

read more at YouTube

Microsoft launches prototype mosquito trap

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:20 pm on 25 Jun 2016,Saturday

Microsoft recently launched a prototype mosquito trap that can collect several data points like the breed, temperature, wind, humidity and the time at which a mosquito was captured. The system is then expected to provide faster and more accurate information about where disease-bearing mosquitoes can be found. A pilot program has been deployed in Houston.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:20 pm on 25 Jun

read more at Hindustan Times

Will use Android as long as it's open: Huawei

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:30 pm on 25 Jun 2016,Saturday

Huawei's CEO of Consumer Business Group, Richard Yu said that the company will keep using Google's Android operating system as long as its openness isn't compromised. Yu added that Android has promoted the development of smartphones, which has benefited consumers. Earlier reports had suggested that Huawei is developing its own mobile operating system called Kirin OS.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:30 pm on 25 Jun

read more at India Today

Nvidia collaborates with DARPA for 'Virtual Eye'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:24 pm on 25 Jun 2016,Saturday

Chip manufacturer Nvidia, in collaboration with the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), has created the 'Virtual Eye' – a system that creates a virtual scene by fusing footage from two cameras. It can help emergency responders or military personnel to send a pair of camera-equipped drones or robots in dangerous surroundings to execute rescue operations or spot enemies.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:24 pm on 25 Jun

read more at Engadget

90% Android devices can get attacked by malware

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:22 pm on 25 Jun 2016,Saturday

Global security software company, Trend Micro has revealed that a family of mobile malware, named GODLESS, can target any device running on Android 5.1 or earlier, which cover around 90% of all Android devices. Apps associated with this malware have already affected over 8,50,000 devices around the world, with India capturing the highest share of affected devices at 46%.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:22 pm on 25 Jun

read more at Trak.in

Startup makes soccer ball that charges devices

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:12 pm on 25 Jun 2016,Saturday

New York-based startup Uncharted Play has developed 'Soccket', a soccer ball that can charge devices. The ball's mechanism captures human movement and transforms it into electrical charge. Once the ball is charged, users can plug their devices into the ball through a USB adapter. A 30-minute play with the ball can power an LED lamp for three hours.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:12 pm on 25 Jun

read more at Daily Mail

Judge says FBI can hack computers without permit

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:10 pm on 25 Jun 2016,Saturday

A US district judge said that the FBI did not need any warrant to hack a suspect's computer in a ruling related to a worldwide child pornography sting. "The rise of computer hacking via the internet has changed the public's reasonable expectations of privacy," he wrote and added, "computers accessing the internet can -- and eventually will -- be hacked."

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:10 pm on 25 Jun

read more at Engadget

Skullcandy to be acquired by Incipio for $177 mn

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:10 pm on 25 Jun 2016,Saturday

Consumer electronics provider Incipio LLC has proposed to buy headphones, earphones and other accessories maker Skullcandy in a cash deal worth $177 million. Incipio owns a number of fashion and technology accessory brands including Incase smartphone cases. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of this year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:10 pm on 25 Jun

read more at The Verge

App to discover like-minded people at airport

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:36 pm on 25 Jun 2016,Saturday

An app called 'Btrfly' lets users discover and connect with like-minded people at the airports in UK and Canada. On providing flight details or airport, the app lets users connect, chat and meet up with other people scheduled to travel on their flight or just passing through the same airport. Users can also share cabs through the app's community.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:36 pm on 25 Jun

read more at Daily Mail

Startup runs robotic pizzeria in Silicon Valley

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:18 pm on 25 Jun 2016,Saturday

US-based startup Zume Pizza runs a robotic pizzeria in the Silicon Valley. The pizzeria employs both, humans and robots, where humans create the dough and robots spread the sauce and put the pizzas in the ovens. The startup has also created special delivery trucks that cook pizzas on their way to delivery.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:18 pm on 25 Jun

read more at Bloomberg

Facebook hires Google Fiber's Co-founder Kevin

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:09 pm on 25 Jun 2016,Saturday

Social media giant Facebook has hired Google Fiber's Co-founder and former General Manager, Kevin Lo as its Director of Infrastructure Connectivity and Investments. Lo will help Facebook in its efforts to bring internet access to more places around the globe. Lo will report to Jason Taylor, Facebook’s Vice President for Infrastructure.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:09 pm on 25 Jun

read more at Recode

WhatsApp hits 100 million calls per day

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:45 pm on 25 Jun 2016,Saturday

According to WhatsApp, more than 100 million voice calls are made every day through its platform. This is equivalent to over 1,100 calls per second. Launched over a year ago, the service lets users place calls to their WhatsApp contacts using their phones' internet connection, even if they are in different countries.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:45 pm on 25 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Google search for Brexit spiked 250% after vote

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:40 am on 25 Jun 2016,Saturday

Google Trends Twitter account reported a 250% increase in people searching for "what happens if we leave the EU", two hours after the Brexit referendum polls closed. It also reported a 100% spike in UK searches for "getting an Irish passport" following the vote. Further, the Brexit debate grabbed the highest ever search interest in the British pound (£).

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:40 am on 25 Jun

read more at The Verge

YouTube brings live streaming to its mobile app

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:30 pm on 24 Jun 2016,Friday

YouTube on Thursday announced that it will add the capability to broadcast live video to its mobile apps. The interface will let creators notify their subscribers when they are broadcasting and will allow them to chat with their viewers in near real time. The feature was initially launched with select creators including AIB, and will soon become more widely available.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:30 pm on 24 Jun

read more at VentureBeat

BitTorrent launches music, video streaming app

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:17 pm on 24 Jun 2016,Friday

Peer-to-peer file sharing service BitTorrent on Thursday launched a new ad-supported on-demand audio and video streaming app called BitTorrent Now. The platform will work like any other on-demand streaming service, but will offer content majorly from independent artists. Its Android app was made available on the day of the launch, with the iOS and Apple TV apps to follow soon.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:17 pm on 24 Jun

read more at Engadget

IBM Watson to scan faces at Wimbledon

short by Dishant Sharma / 12:37 am on 24 Jun 2016,Friday

IBM's machine learning platform Watson is set to scan facial expressions of audience members at the Wimbledon 2016 Tennis Championships. Cameras linked to Watson will work out the player being most supported during the tournament by the audience's facial scan data. The platform will additionally scan conversations on social media platforms to analyse relevant trending content.

short by Dishant Sharma / 12:37 am on 24 Jun

read more at The Next Web

Apple patents hand detection technology

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:08 am on 24 Jun 2016,Friday

Apple has patented a hand detection technology that would allow hand-held devices to determine which hand the user is using and then automatically customize the user interface for optimal thumb reach. The company has also patented a stylus with multi-touch sensors, that would allow it to sense finger position, touch patterns and use them as gesture controls for corresponding devices.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:08 am on 24 Jun

read more at The Next Web

Sweden opens its first ever electric road

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:34 pm on 23 Jun 2016,Thursday

Europe's Sweden opened its first ever electric road on Wednesday to provide power for heavy hybrid electric transports on public roads on a pilot basis. The two-kilometre long electric road's technology is similar to the light rail, with contact lines 5.4 meters over the roadway. The lines can provide up to 750 volts DC of electricity to a truck.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:34 pm on 23 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

App sends Game of Thrones spoilers anonymously

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:41 pm on 23 Jun 2016,Thursday

A new app called 'Spoiled' lets users anonymously text television series Game of Thrones' spoilers to select contacts after every new episode. Launched last week, the service costs $0.99. The app is inspired by a woman, who got internet famous for spoiling every episode of Game of Thrones for her former boyfriend after the two broke up.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:41 pm on 23 Jun

read more at VentureBeat

Xiaomi launches smart electric bicycle at $455

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:14 pm on 23 Jun 2016,Thursday

Xiaomi on Thursday launched its first smart folding electronic bicycle called 'Mi Qicycle' in China at $455. The app-connected bicycle has a 250W 36V motor which adjusts power based on the user's pedaling. The bicycle's app provides GPS navigation with real-time statistics including speed, distance, power, and calories burnt. It can ride up to 45 kilometres on a single charge.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:14 pm on 23 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Converse integrates guitar pedal in a sneaker

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:12 pm on 23 Jun 2016,Thursday

Converse has developed a sneaker that features a built-in wah pedal – a pedal that alters the signals of electric guitars to create a distinctive effect. The idea, which was prototyped in 2013 by London-based fashion label Cute Circuit, uses a micro-sensor embedded in the sole of the shoe that registers foot movements to mimic an actual wah pedal.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:12 pm on 23 Jun

read more at The Next Web

KFC's limited edition meal box charges phone

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:48 pm on 23 Jun 2016,Thursday

Food chain KFC has released a limited edition meal box in India called 'Watt A Box', that lets users charge their mobile phones. The box includes an Android or iOS charging cable and claims to have an in-built 6,100 mAh battery for charging a user's phone. However, the boxes aren't for sale and can only be won through a contest.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:48 pm on 23 Jun

read more at YouTube

Device made to transfer landline calls to mobile

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:48 am on 23 Jun 2016,Thursday

French startup Invoxia has developed a $99 device called 'Voice Bridge', that transfers the users' landline calls to their smartphones or tablets through Wi-Fi. Plugged into the landline, the device also lets users choose a contact from their smartphones and dial it through the landline. Users can connect up to five of their devices to a single Voice Bridge.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:48 am on 23 Jun

read more at The Verge

Two student-made satellites launched by ISRO

short by Satyaki Das / 11:25 pm on 22 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Two Indian student-made satellites were launched by ISRO in the record-breaking 20-satellite launch on Wednesday. The Sathyabamasat, made by students of Sathyabama University in Chennai, weighs less than 1.5 kg and monitors greenhouse gas emissions. The Swayam, made by students from the College of Engineering, Pune, weighs less than 1 kg, and is meant to provide point-to-point messaging services.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:25 pm on 22 Jun

read more at Tech2

Amazon doubles memory of most affordable Kindle

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:58 pm on 22 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Amazon on Wednesday announced an upgraded version of its most affordable Kindle priced at ₹5,999. It's thinner, lighter and has 4 GB storage space, twice the memory than the previous generation Kindle. The high contrast 6-inch touchscreen display is now anti-glare in any setting including the direct sunlight. Available from July 7 in India, it has a white colour option.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:58 pm on 22 Jun

read more at India Today

Elon Musk is SolarCity's largest shareholder

short by Yash Kumar / 08:59 pm on 22 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Elon Musk, whose company Tesla is looking to acquire SolarCity, is the Chairman and the largest shareholder of SolarCity owning 23%. Interestingly, the company was also co-founded by Peter and Lyndon Rive, who are Musk's cousins. The acquisition will be an all-stock deal, valued as much as $2.86 billion.

short by Yash Kumar / 08:59 pm on 22 Jun

read more at Bloomberg

Google reveals when Nexus will stop updating

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:57 pm on 22 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Google on Wednesday revealed when its Nexus smartphones will stop receiving Android software updates. Nexus smartphones will receive guaranteed updates for at least two years from when the device became available on Google Store. While Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X will get no guaranteed updates after September 2017, Nexus 9 and Nexus 6 will stop receiving updates after October 2016.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:57 pm on 22 Jun

read more at Google

China becomes world leader in supercomputers

short by Satyaki Das / 11:46 am on 22 Jun 2016,Wednesday

China has overtaken the US for the first time to become the world leader in supercomputing, with a total of 167 supercomputers in the top 500 fastest supercomputers list. The US stands at a close second with 165 supercomputers. Incidentally, China had no supercomputers in the TOP500 list in 2001.

short by Satyaki Das / 11:46 am on 22 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

ISRO launches record 20 satellites in a mission

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 09:30 am on 22 Jun 2016,Wednesday

The Indian Space Research Organisation on Wednesday launched a record 20 satellites in a single mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The satellites included Cartosat-2 series satellite for earth observation and 19 co-passenger satellites from US, Canada, Germany, Indonesia and two Indian academic institutions. The launch was made using ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 09:30 am on 22 Jun

Twitter reacts to launch of HP's 10.4 mm laptop

short by Dishant Sharma / 12:02 am on 22 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Reacting to the India launch of HP's 10.4-mm Spectre laptop, TVF CEO Arunabh Kumar tweeted, "Everyone losing the extra weight.Thin is the new cool! HP Spectre is looking awesome". While other tweets included, "HP Spectre-world’s thinnest laptop. Now you can slice data & vegetables" and "When art and technology fell in love, the HP Spectre was born.@HPIndia, this looks amazing".

short by Dishant Sharma / 12:02 am on 22 Jun

read more at Twitter

Instagram reaches 500 million monthly users

short by Dishant Sharma / 11:04 pm on 21 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Facebook-owned online media-sharing platform Instagram on Tuesday announced that it has reached 500 million monthly users, up from 300 million monthly users in December 2014. The company also said that it has now reached 300 million daily users with almost 95 million images being shared per day. Notably, 80% of Instagram users are from outside the United States.

short by Dishant Sharma / 11:04 pm on 21 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

No Indian supercomputer in the top 100 list

short by Rini Kapoor / 11:01 pm on 21 Jun 2016,Tuesday

The TOP500 list of world’s fastest supercomputers has none of the Indian supercomputers in the top 100. India’s top system SERC-Cray XC40, developed by the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru is ranked 110th. A total of eight more Indian supercomputers feature in the TOP500 list.

short by Rini Kapoor / 11:01 pm on 21 Jun

read more at Google Blog

Solar cells 100 times thinner than human hair

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:46 pm on 21 Jun 2016,Tuesday

South Korea-based researchers have developed flexible photovoltaic cells with a thickness of about 1 micrometre – 100 times thinner than an average human hair. The team claimed that these cells, built using the semiconductor gallium arsenide, worked properly even when wrapped around a 1.4 mm wide object. The advancement can be used in portable power sources for wearable flexible electronics.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:46 pm on 21 Jun

read more at Engadget

Refugee boat rescue app turns out to be fake

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:41 pm on 21 Jun 2016,Tuesday

An iOS app called 'I SEA' which claimed to let users spot and rescue refugee boats has been pulled out from Apple's App Store after it was revealed as fake. It claimed using real-time satellite footage to identify refugee boats and report them for help. However, the app reportedly showed a static image of a portion of the sea.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:41 pm on 21 Jun

read more at The Guardian

US startup makes smart ring with panic button

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:33 pm on 21 Jun 2016,Tuesday

A US-based startup has developed 'Nimb', a $150 smart ring with a panic button to send alert to family, friends, nearby people, police and emergency services during a threat situation. The app-connected ring has a button which needs to be pressed to send emergency alert to the pre-selected contacts. It also sends the user's GPS location to the selected contacts.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:33 pm on 21 Jun

read more at YouTube

Tencent to buy 'Clash of Clans' maker Supercell

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:33 pm on 21 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Chinese internet company Tencent on Tuesday agreed to buy a majority stake in Supercell, the developer of the popular mobile game 'Clash of Clans', from SoftBank at a cost of $8.6 billion. The deal is expected to value Supercell at $10.2 billion. Notably, Tencent already owns computer game 'League of Legends' developer Riot Games.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:33 pm on 21 Jun

read more at The Verge

App lets users find friends while travelling

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:19 pm on 21 Jun 2016,Tuesday

A New York-based entrepreneur Mazen Jundi has created 'Tripstir', an app that lets users follow other travellers and get notified of travel overlaps with the people they are following. Users can search travellers, cities or date combinations to see where others are planning to travel. It also allows users to share recommendations, photos and videos from their trips.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:19 pm on 21 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

New FB shares to increase Zuckerberg's control

short by Aditya Kashyap / 05:13 pm on 21 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Facebook has approved the creation of a new class of shares in a move that will ensure its founder Mark Zuckerberg keeps majority ownership even if the firm issues new shares in the future. The move allows Zuckerberg and his wife to implement their pledge of donating 99% of their shares for philanthropic activities, without diluting voting control.

short by Aditya Kashyap / 05:13 pm on 21 Jun

read more at The Financial Express

Old degree not enough for 21st century: Coursera

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:30 pm on 21 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Education technology company Coursera's Co-founder and President Daphne Koller recently said in an interview, "Your old college diploma isn’t good enough for the 21st century economy." Koller added, "The things you learned in college 15 years ago are no longer the skills needed for your next job." She also said that old-fashioned college lectures are going to get extinct.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:30 pm on 21 Jun

read more at Recode

Cyberattacks on Indonesia, S Korea central banks

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:14 pm on 21 Jun 2016,Tuesday

The public websites of the central banks of Indonesia and South Korea were hit by cyberattacks on Monday, claimed officials. No money was lost in the attacks following the regional cooperation between the central banks. While there is no word on who the hackers were, activist hacking group Anonymous last month had pledged to target banks across the world.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:14 pm on 21 Jun

read more at Reuters

Sphero's new robot teaches coding to kids

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:30 pm on 21 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Sphero on Monday launched its new robot 'SPARK+', priced at $130, that teaches basic principles of coding to the kids. The fully programmable waterproof rolling robot lets kids customise the speed, angle and colour of the robot through a dedicated app. Creations made with the robot can also be shared with a community through the app.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:30 pm on 21 Jun

read more at YouTube

Peter Thiel gets re-elected to Facebook's board

short by Pragya Swastik / 12:44 pm on 21 Jun 2016,Tuesday

PayPal Co-founder and early Facebook backer Peter Thiel was on Tuesday re-elected to the Facebook's board of directors despite the backlash against him for funding the Hulk Hogan lawsuit against Gawker Media. Facebook’s entire board was re-elected, including Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, Marc Andreessen and others. Earlier this month, Sandberg said that the company wouldn’t remove Thiel.

short by Pragya Swastik / 12:44 pm on 21 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Twitter acquires AI startup Magic Pony

short by Sanira Mediratta / 12:00 am on 21 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Twitter on Monday bought London-based AI startup Magic Pony Technology for a reported $150 million. Founded in 2014, Magic Pony uses machine learning to create high-quality pictures and videos from grainy footage. The services will likely be integrated into Twitter's live and video services such as Periscope and Vine. Twitter had previously acquired machine learning startups Madbits and Whetlab.

short by Sanira Mediratta / 12:00 am on 21 Jun

read more at India Today

Microsoft Edge claims less battery than Chrome

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:53 pm on 20 Jun 2016,Monday

Microsoft's latest experiment shows that the battery of a laptop running Microsoft Edge web browser lasts 70% longer than another running Google Chrome enabled with battery saver mode. Further, the laptop running Microsoft's browser lasted 43% and 17% more than the ones running Firefox and Opera browsers respectively. The laptop running Microsoft Edge lasted for 7 hours and 22 minutes.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:53 pm on 20 Jun

read more at YouTube

Apple named world's most sought-after company

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:50 pm on 20 Jun 2016,Monday

Apple has topped LinkedIn's 'Top Attractors' list of the most sought-after companies by professionals across the world. Cloud computing company Salesforce and social media platform Facebook have been ranked second and third respectively. The list, released on Monday, featured a total of 40 companies including Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Uber.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:50 pm on 20 Jun

read more at Bloomberg

Hackers steal details of 34,500 Acer customers

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:37 pm on 20 Jun 2016,Monday

Acer has admitted that details of its 34,500 customers across US, Canada and Puerto Rico have been stolen by the hackers. The details include customers' names, mailing addresses, card numbers, expiration dates and even three-digit CVV numbers on the cards. The details of customers who accessed Acer's online store between May 12, 2015 and April 28, 2016 have been compromised.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:37 pm on 20 Jun

read more at Engadget

Waterproof phones would cost 20-30% more: Xiaomi

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:28 pm on 20 Jun 2016,Monday

Xiaomi Co-founder Lei Jun during a corporate event said that the company does not make waterproof smartphones because it would cost around 20-30% more to its buyers. Jun added that waterproofing doesn't guarantee long-term safety as even a minor crack could render the waterproofing ineffective. Jun said that Xiaomi could waterproof its phones if customers are willing to pay more.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:28 pm on 20 Jun

read more at India Today

Former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo's account hacked

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:05 pm on 20 Jun 2016,Monday

The Twitter account of Dick Costolo, former CEO of Twitter, was reportedly hacked on Sunday by a group called OurMine. While the tweets posted by the group have been deleted, the Twitter account of OurMine has been suspended. Costolo, however, tweeted, "looks like an old account from another service that cross posted to Twitter was compromised, not my Twitter account."

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:05 pm on 20 Jun

read more at Recode

World's 1st magnetic refrigerator launched

short by Dishant Sharma / 08:48 am on 20 Jun 2016,Monday

French firm Cooltech Applications has launched what it claims as the world's first commercially available magnetic refrigeration system. It achieves refrigeration by passing a water coolant through magnetocaloric materials undergoing repeated magnetization-demagnetization cycles. The system works without any refrigerant gas, making it more environmentally efficient than conventional refrigerators.

short by Dishant Sharma / 08:48 am on 20 Jun

read more at Daily Mail

Microsoft funds anti-terrorism software

short by Dishant Sharma / 08:02 am on 20 Jun 2016,Monday

Microsoft has funded a software, developed by Dartmouth College professor Hany Farid, that can find and eliminate online extremist content. The software, which was unveiled on Friday, analyses online images, videos and audio files, and matches it to a database of known extremist content. If it matches, social media and technology companies can flag such content or remove it altogether.

short by Dishant Sharma / 08:02 am on 20 Jun

read more at Bloomberg

Blue Origin completes its 4th successful landing

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:41 pm on 19 Jun 2016,Sunday

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' private spaceflight company, Blue Origin successfully launched and landed its New Shepard reusable rocket for a fourth time on Sunday. The company also successfully tested the redundancy of its capsule's parachute system by intentionally failing one of the chutes. Notably, it was the first-ever time that the company live-streamed one of its launches.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:41 pm on 19 Jun

read more at Engadget

Smart ring made to track user's health and sleep

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:18 pm on 19 Jun 2016,Sunday

A Swedish startup has developed a $299 smart ring called 'BioRing', that tracks the user's calorie intake, stress level, steps taken, heart rate and sleep. It uses the collected data to create personalised health and fitness plans for the user. The app-based scratch proof and waterproof ring also vibrates and sends important health notifications on a user's smartphone.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:18 pm on 19 Jun

read more at YouTube

Algeria blocks FB, Twitter to stop exam cheats

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:13 pm on 19 Jun 2016,Sunday

Algerian authorities have temporarily blocked access to Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites in order to stop cheats from posting high school exam papers online. "The cut in social media is directly related to partial baccalaureate exams that are taking place on Sunday," said an official. Meanwhile, access of internet through the 3G network also appeared to be disrupted.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:13 pm on 19 Jun

read more at Reuters

London council to employ digital employee Amelia

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:23 pm on 19 Jun 2016,Sunday

Digital employee named 'Amelia' will be employed by the Enfield Council in London later this year to answer customer queries. Created by US-based company IPsoft, the virtual assistant can analyse natural language, understand context, apply logic, learn, resolve problems and even sense emotions. If Amelia cannot answer a question, it calls the human colleagues and learns from them.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:23 pm on 19 Jun

read more at Daily Mail

US Defence Secy thanks teen for hacking Pentagon

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:25 pm on 19 Jun 2016,Sunday

The US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter on Friday thanked an 18-year-old teen for hacking the Pentagon's websites and finding security vulnerabilities before the US adversaries did. The teen had reported six loopholes in the government websites. A pilot program 'Hack the Pentagon' was recently held by the US government where the hackers were rewarded for discovering 138 security vulnerabilities.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:25 pm on 19 Jun

read more at VentureBeat

Google celebrates 'Lady Day' after sexist remark

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:45 am on 19 Jun 2016,Sunday

Over 800 Google employees in over 20 countries celebrated 'Lady Day' by adding the word 'Lady' to their respective job titles against an Alphabet shareholder's sexist remark. The shareholder referred to Alphabet's CFO Ruth Porat as 'the Lady CFO' during a meeting. Men and women at Google adopted the 'Lady' prefix in a protest with the tagline "Actually...it's just CFO."

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:45 am on 19 Jun

read more at The Verge

Hacker steals over $50 million in cryptocurrency

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:13 pm on 18 Jun 2016,Saturday

A hacker has diverted over $50 million in cryptocurrency from an experimental fund set up by the Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO). The fund was set up to demonstrate that cryptocurrency is safe for use. The hacker, however, has reportedly claimed that the money he diverted from the system is legally his, as he exploited a contract bug in DAO's code.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:13 pm on 18 Jun

read more at The Verge

Researchers develop 1000-core processing chip

short by Dishant Sharma / 10:10 pm on 18 Jun 2016,Saturday

Researchers at the University of California have developed the 'KiloCore', a microchip with 1,000 independent programmable processors. The chip contains 621 million transistors and has a maximum computation rate of 1.78 trillion instructions per second. Each core runs a program independently, making the chip over 100 times more energy efficient in executing instructions than a laptop processor.

short by Dishant Sharma / 10:10 pm on 18 Jun

read more at Report

Apple says iPhones still available in China

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:20 pm on 18 Jun 2016,Saturday

Apple on Friday said that iPhone 6 and 6 Plus smartphones are still available in China after Beijing's intellectual property regulators said that the designs infringed a patent held by a Chinese company. Apple had appealed an administrative order from a regional patent tribunal in Beijing. "The order has been stayed pending review by the Beijing IP Court," added Apple.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:20 pm on 18 Jun

read more at Reuters

Google paying up to 50% more Android bug bounty

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:14 pm on 18 Jun 2016,Saturday

Google is paying between 33-50% more to people on Android bugs submitted after June 1 this year. Since launching its Android Security Rewards program last year, Google has paid out over $550,000 to 82 Android bug hunters. While the top bug hunter was given $75,750 last year, the average bug hunting reward stands at $6,700 per researcher.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:14 pm on 18 Jun

read more at Engadget

'Hack the Pentagon' program reveals 138 flaws

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:17 pm on 18 Jun 2016,Saturday

Hackers who were invited by the US government under the 'Hack the Pentagon' pilot program, discovered 138 security vulnerabilities in the five Pentagon websites, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Friday. More than 1,400 hackers took part in the bug bounty program, which ran from April 18 to May 12, with the payouts ranging from about $100 to $15,000.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:17 pm on 18 Jun

read more at The Verge

Blue Origin to live-stream its next launch

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:43 pm on 18 Jun 2016,Saturday

In a first for the company, Blue Origin will live-stream its reusable New Shepard suborbital vehicle's next launch on Sunday. The live-stream will be available on the company website starting at 7:15 pm IST. Founder Jeff Bezos had previously announced that the vehicle will land with an intentionally failed parachute to demonstrate the company's ability to handle a failed scenario.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:43 pm on 18 Jun

read more at Engadget

What goes around comes around, tweets user

short by Dishant Sharma / 05:43 pm on 18 Jun 2016,Saturday

Reacting to Beijing's order to ban sales of Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, a user tweeted, "What goes around comes around. Apple has been trying to get sales ban for Samsung products in US, with similar claims". "China Skynet watching Apple vs. FBI. if IPhone 6 is uncrackable, China moves to ban. Instant contraband", read another tweet.

short by Dishant Sharma / 05:43 pm on 18 Jun

read more at Tweets

India ranks 4th in hacked server list: Kaspersky

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 01:44 pm on 18 Jun 2016,Saturday

According to a report by software security group Kaspersky, India ranks fourth in the list of hacked servers available for sale on xDedic, an underground marketplace for compromised servers. The report said access to 3,488 hacked Indian servers was being sold on xDedic. The listed servers grant access to government networks, online banking and payment, and telecom networks, among others.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 01:44 pm on 18 Jun

read more at VentureBeat

Beijing orders Apple to halt iPhone 6 sale

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:51 pm on 17 Jun 2016,Friday

The Beijing Intellectual Property Office has ordered Apple to halt sales of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, after ruling that it violated the design patents of the Shenzhen-based firm Baili. The Chinese company sued Apple for copying the external design of its 100C smartphone. Apple has appealed at the Beijing Intellectual Property Court asking to revoke the office's ruling.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:51 pm on 17 Jun

read more at Forbes

Finding Dory version for visually impaired made

short by Prashanti Moktan / 08:19 pm on 17 Jun 2016,Friday

Disney and Pixar have released a version of the film 'Finding Dory' for visually impaired audiences using the 'Disney Movies Anywhere' app. The app syncs the film's audio using a headset to narrate important on-screen scenes in between dialogues. Users with an iPhone or iPad, operating on iOS 7 or above, can avail the function in the US.

short by Prashanti Moktan / 08:19 pm on 17 Jun

read more at Hindustan Times

Salesforce made a bid for LinkedIn: CEO Benioff

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:27 pm on 17 Jun 2016,Friday

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff confirmed on Thursday that the company also made a bid for LinkedIn, the business networking service that was sold to Microsoft for $26.2 billion earlier this week. While the bid amount was not revealed, Salesforce was reportedly interested in LinkedIn's recruiting business. Last year, several reports had emerged of Microsoft trying to buy Salesforce.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:27 pm on 17 Jun

read more at Recode

Musk posts video of failed Falcon 9 sea-landing

short by Dishant Sharma / 05:51 pm on 17 Jun 2016,Friday

SpaceX founder Elon Musk has posted a video of the Falcon 9 rocket booster's failed sea-landing attempt on a drone ship on Thursday. The attempt was SpaceX's first unsuccessful landing after three consecutive successful attempts. Musk claims that a possible early liquid oxygen depletion may have caused the engine shutdown just before landing.

short by Dishant Sharma / 05:51 pm on 17 Jun

read more at Twitter

LinkedIn to be like Facebook for careers: Gates

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:01 pm on 17 Jun 2016,Friday

On Microsoft's $26.2 billion acquisition of LinkedIn, Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates said that he's enthusiastic and sees this as an opportunity to build a Facebook for careers. Users should be compelled to say "this professional feed in LinkedIn, that is how I want to learn about my career, my company, my industry and I’m going back there", Gates added.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:01 pm on 17 Jun

read more at Bloomberg

Govt warned against hacking attempts from China

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 04:02 pm on 17 Jun 2016,Friday

The Government's cyber cell has warned all the departments against China-based hacking attempts to break into computers used for official purposes. The matter came to light after 'unusual activity' was sighted on a computer in the Administrative Reforms' department. The hackers have reportedly "approached" 33 computers in various ministries, including the Home and External Affairs ministries.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 04:02 pm on 17 Jun

read more at PTI

Blackberry partners HCL for selling software

short by Aditya Kashyap / 03:40 pm on 17 Jun 2016,Friday

Smartphone maker Blackberry on Friday announced its partnership with IT services firm HCL Infosystems for the distribution of the former's enterprise software products and services in India through HCL's network of distribution partners. In addition to sales support, HCL will also reportedly provide value-added services such as technical support and consulting to Blackberry's customers.

short by Aditya Kashyap / 03:40 pm on 17 Jun

read more at The Financial Express

Oracle net profit rises 1.8% to $2.81 billion

short by Aditya Kashyap / 11:23 am on 17 Jun 2016,Friday

Software giant Oracle on Thursday reported a marginal 1.8% year-on-year rise in net profit in the quarter ended May to $2.81 billion. Revenue for the quarter fell 1% to $10.59 billion. Notably, the tech firm's revenue from cloud-computing services rose 49.1% to $859 million following its acquisition of cloud companies Textura and Opower during the period.

short by Aditya Kashyap / 11:23 am on 17 Jun

read more at Reuters

Self-driving car which uses IBM's AI unveiled

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:01 am on 17 Jun 2016,Friday

US-based car manufacturer, Local Motors has unveiled 'Olli', the first autonomous electric vehicle to use IBM's Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform Watson. Watson will help improve the passenger experience and allow natural interaction with the vehicle, IBM said. The 12-passenger vehicle will be used on public roads locally in Washington, DC, and will come to Miami-Dade County later this year.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:01 am on 17 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

New tools for energy-efficient mobile browsing

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:45 pm on 16 Jun 2016,Thursday

US-based researchers have developed a set of open-source web programming language extensions, called GreenWeb, that allows people to save battery power while browsing on mobile devices. The team integrated GreenWeb into Google Chrome and reported energy savings of 30% to 66% over Android's default mode. The GreenWeb framework also assists developers in turning their web pages energy-friendly.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:45 pm on 16 Jun

read more at Report

Software uses smartphone camera for eye-tracking

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:44 pm on 16 Jun 2016,Thursday

Researchers at the MIT have developed a machine learning-based software that can turn any smartphone into an eye-tracking device. It runs an application that continuously captures images of the user's face using the phone's front camera. The team claimed to have brought down the error margin down to 1.5 centimetres, a two-fold improvement over previous experimental systems.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:44 pm on 16 Jun

read more at MIT News

Google customises search for Bollywood fans

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:28 pm on 16 Jun 2016,Thursday

Google on Thursday launched special tools to provide customised search results for Bollywood fans in India. The new tools give contextual and image-rich results to queries regarding films, songs, actors, lyrics, trailers and screening times. The search giant also released a short film titled 'The Hero' highlighting the new search features.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:28 pm on 16 Jun

read more at YouTube

Facebook adds a football game to its Messenger

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:52 pm on 16 Jun 2016,Thursday

Facebook on Wednesday launched a football game within its Messenger app through an update. To begin the game, the users need to send the football emoji in a conversation. On tapping the sent football emoji, a game pops up and lets the users score by keeping the football in the air by tapping their fingers on the mobile screen.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:52 pm on 16 Jun

read more at The Guardian

Google accused of stealing Project Loon tech

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:45 pm on 16 Jun 2016,Thursday

US-based firm Space Data Corporation has filed a lawsuit against Google accusing the company of infringing two of its patents for Project Loon. Loon is a balloon-based project aimed at providing internet access to remote and rural areas. As per the complaint filed earlier in the week, Google founders visited Space Data Corporation's headquarters in 2008 to discuss potential partnerships.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:45 pm on 16 Jun

read more at Engadget

Twitter enables targeting ads by emojis

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:44 pm on 16 Jun 2016,Thursday

Twitter has introduced emoji keyword targeting for ads which will enable advertisers to target their ads and tweets based on the use of emojis. The new feature uses emoji activity as a signal of a person's mood and mindset. Advertisers can avail the emoji-based ad-targeting with the help of select Twitter partners including AdParlor, Amobee and HYFN.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:44 pm on 16 Jun

read more at VentureBeat

FBI's facial recognition tech uses 411 mn photos

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:31 pm on 16 Jun 2016,Thursday

A report by the US Government Accountability Office has revealed that the FBI has built a facial recognition software using 411.9 million images. For compiling the database, the FBI used the driver's license, passport and visa photo databases. However, the FBI reportedly didn't make public disclosures required by the law about how they harvested and used personal information.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:31 pm on 16 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Paris victim kin sues Facebook, Twitter, Google

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:18 pm on 16 Jun 2016,Thursday

A man whose daughter was killed in the terrorist attacks in Paris last year, has filed a lawsuit against technology giants Facebook, Twitter and Google for providing "material support" to ISIS. The man has alleged that the companies knowingly allowed ISIS to raise money, spread propaganda and recruit militants on their platforms.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:18 pm on 16 Jun

read more at The Verge

Android N named 'Namey McNameface' in beta

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:43 pm on 16 Jun 2016,Thursday

Google on Wednesday released the fourth developer preview of 'Android N', which reportedly revealed 'Namey McNameface' as the name of the new Android version. At the I/O conference in May, Google had announced that it will crowd-source Android N's name. Dave Burke, Android's Vice President of Engineering, had jokingly offered "Namey McNameface" as the name for the latest Android version.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:43 pm on 16 Jun

read more at The Next Web

Leather wallet with built-in iPhone charger made

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:37 pm on 16 Jun 2016,Thursday

Australia-based gadget accessories maker Nomad has made a leather wallet that has an in-built iPhone charger. The wallet includes a non-removable 2400 mAh battery integrated with a lightning cable, which claims enough capacity to fully charge an iPhone. While a slimmer version of the wallet sells for $120, a bi-fold version of the wallet costs $150.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:37 pm on 16 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Pro-ISIS Twitter accounts hacked to put gay porn

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:55 pm on 16 Jun 2016,Thursday

Twitter accounts of several ISIS supporters were hacked on Tuesday to post gay pride messages, rainbow flag images and links to gay pornography. The hacking has been claimed by WauchulaGhost, a hacker affiliated with the hacker-activist group Anonymous. "I did it for the lives lost in Orlando...The taking of innocent lives will not be tolerated,” the hacker said.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:55 pm on 16 Jun

read more at The Next Web

Apple Maps to remember parked car's location

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:58 pm on 16 Jun 2016,Thursday

A new feature coming to Apple Maps in iOS 10 will help users to remember where they parked their cars. The feature will automatically pin the car's stationary location when a journey terminates somewhere other than the user’s home address. Further, a parked car icon will apparently appear in the map with directions and estimated time to reach the car.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:58 pm on 16 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

US startup launches circular smartphones at $399

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:48 am on 16 Jun 2016,Thursday

US-based startup Monohm on Wednesday launched its circular smartphones 'Runcible Babbage' and solid wood back 'Runcible Lovelace' for pre-order at $399 and $499 respectively. Based on Android 5.1 operating system, the palm-sized 2.5 inched round screen smartphones support LTE, WiFi and bluetooth. Both the smartphones feature a 7 MP rear camera and a Snapdragon 410 quad core processor.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:48 am on 16 Jun

read more at The Verge

Railways start social media system for grievance

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 09:27 am on 16 Jun 2016,Thursday

Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu on Wednesday launched an Integrated Social Media platform to take care of passengers' grievances received through the posts on Facebook and Twitter. The posts will be first analysed by the Railway Board's Social Media Cell and then forwarded to the concerned Divisional Railways Manager (DRM) to take prompt action on the matter.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 09:27 am on 16 Jun

read more at Google

Leonardo DiCaprio funds recommendation app Qloo

short by Vani Vivek / 11:36 pm on 15 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Qloo, a culture and entertainment recommendation engine, on Wednesday raised $4.5 million in Series A funding from Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, Starwood Hotels Founder Barry Sternlicht, and Pierre Lagrange of GLG Partners, among others. The US-based startup builds the users’ taste profile from their selections across nine categories including film, music, dining, nightlife and fashion.

short by Vani Vivek / 11:36 pm on 15 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Apple announces best designed iOS apps of 2016

short by Vani Vivek / 11:04 pm on 15 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Apple on Monday announced 12 apps as the winners of its annual Apple Design Awards 2016. The winning apps include fitness app 'Zova', music creation app 'Auxy' and 'Streaks', an app to adopt good habits. DJ toolkit app 'djay Pro' won the award for the second time after 2011. Student-developed games 'Linum' and 'Dividr' also made it to the list.

short by Vani Vivek / 11:04 pm on 15 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

iSCOUT lets drivers answer calls with a gesture

short by Vani Vivek / 10:28 pm on 15 Jun 2016,Wednesday

A Singapore-based startup has developed a Heads-Up Display called iSCOUT that lets drivers accept or reject calls with the wave of a hand. It also projects information such as car speed, fuel level, and GPS navigation as a floating virtual image in front of the driver. Other features of iSCOUT include blind spot cameras and dashcams.

short by Vani Vivek / 10:28 pm on 15 Jun

read more at Reuters

Apple mandates HTTPS connections for iOS apps

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:40 pm on 15 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Apple announced that all apps in its App Store should switch to its security feature called App Transport Security (ATS) by January 1, 2017. When enabled, ATS forces an app to connect to web services over an HTTPS connection rather than HTTP, which keeps user data secure by encrypting it. ATS feature is enabled by default on iOS 9.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:40 pm on 15 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Pumped for Trump to quote himself, tweets user

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:36 pm on 15 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Reacting to Twitter allowing users to retweet their own tweets and quote themselves, a user tweeted, "So pumped for Trump to start quoting himself." Another user tweeted, "@twitter so we can retweet ourselves but still not edit our tweets?" A user also tweeted, "@twitter I'd rather have a sarcasm button." "Twitter, who asked for this though?" read another tweet.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:36 pm on 15 Jun

read more at Tweets

Ex-IBM employee charged with economic espionage

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:32 pm on 15 Jun 2016,Wednesday

A former IBM software engineer working in China, who is accused of selling IBM's proprietary source code, was charged with six counts of economic espionage and theft of trade secrets. In December, 30-year-old Xu Jiaqiang was arrested after openly admitting to the undercover agents that he used the code to build his version of IBM's software that he could sell.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:32 pm on 15 Jun

read more at Engadget

App allows users to spot and help migrant boats

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:23 pm on 15 Jun 2016,Wednesday

The Migrant Offshore Aid Station has developed an iOS app called 'I SEA App' that lets users spot and help refugee boats in trouble. It divides satellite image of the sea into millions of small plots and assigns users a unique sea plot to monitor. Users tag and report migrant boats, information of which is passed to the relevant authorities.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:23 pm on 15 Jun

read more at Engadget

Twitter allows users to retweet their own tweets

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:49 pm on 15 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Twitter on Tuesday allowed its users to retweet their own tweets and quote themselves by using the retweet button. Previously, users were allowed to only retweet tweets sent by other accounts. Twitter last month changed its 140-character limit and excluded @names in replies and media attachments like photos, GIFs, videos and polls from the character count.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:49 pm on 15 Jun

read more at The Next Web

OnePlus kills its affordable OnePlus X series

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:58 pm on 15 Jun 2016,Wednesday

OnePlus will have no new launches under its affordable OnePlus X series, the company's Co-founder and CEO Pete Lau said on Tuesday. Lau added that OnePlus will instead focus on just one true flagship line from now on in order to strengthen its foundation. On opening OnePlus physical stores, Lau said, "This will all make sense in 20 years' time."

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:58 pm on 15 Jun

read more at Engadget

Facebook spammer sentenced to 2.5 yrs in prison

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:34 pm on 15 Jun 2016,Wednesday

A 47-year-old man from Las Vegas was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison on Monday for sending over 27 million spam messages to Facebook users and disobeying a court order of not accessing Facebook. The spammer was also ordered to pay $310,000 in restitution. Last year, the spammer had admitted accessing about 5 lakh Facebook accounts for spamming.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:34 pm on 15 Jun

read more at Bloomberg

Twitter invests $70 million in SoundCloud

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:08 pm on 15 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Micro-blogging site Twitter's venture capital arm has invested $70 million in audio streaming company SoundCloud, as part of a funding round that is expected to close at $100 million. The funding will reportedly value SoundCloud at $700 million. Notably, Twitter in 2014 considered acquiring SoundCloud but later changed its mind.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:08 pm on 15 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

OnePlus 3 is OnePlus at its best: Engadget

short by Twishy Shahi / 02:07 pm on 15 Jun 2016,Wednesday

The OnePlus 3 smartphone, launched on Tuesday, is the “best phone one can get for $399,” wrote Engadget. “It has everything we’ve come to expect from high-end Android phones - fast processor, premium design, capable camera, quick charging, great display - but sells for just $399 unlocked," Verge said. CNET described the phone as the "Best budget Android phone, period."

short by Twishy Shahi / 02:07 pm on 15 Jun

read more at Tweets

Facebook, Deepika launch suicide prevention tool

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:42 pm on 14 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Facebook partnered with Deepika Padukone's The Live Love Laugh Foundation and NGO Aasra to launch its suicide prevention tool on Tuesday in India. The tool lets users flag their friends’ posts that seem suicidal. The posts will be reviewed by a Facebook team to provide various suicide prevention resources including a helpline and support to the people suffering from depression.

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:42 pm on 14 Jun

read more at YouTube

The drinks are on Reid Hoffman, tweets user

short by Dishant Sharma / 08:34 pm on 14 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Reacting to LinkedIn Co-founder Reid Hoffman pocketing around $2.84 billion in the Microsoft acquisition deal, a user tweeted, "The drinks are on Reid Hoffman". While another tweet read, "California loves LinkedIn deal, as possible tax bill from Reid Hoffman could top $300 million". "GSDP OF 11 Indian states/ UTs is less than net worth of Reid Hoffman", read another tweet.

short by Dishant Sharma / 08:34 pm on 14 Jun

read more at Tweets

iOS 10 allows deleting built-in apps

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:19 pm on 14 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Apple on Monday announced in a blog post that the upcoming operating system iOS 10 will allow its users to uninstall built-in apps like Contacts, iTunes Store, Mail and Maps. All such apps, which also include Music, Videos, Calendar and Stocks, account for under 150 MB of space. The removed apps can later be installed from the App Store.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:19 pm on 14 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

I miss Steve Jobs, tweets user on Apple updates

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:38 pm on 14 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Reacting to Apple's new updates launched at the company's annual developers conference, a user tweeted, "I miss Steve Jobs. What is happening to Apple?? Where is the #innovation???" Another user tweeted, "Apple didn't fail to copy Google! Apple Maps=Google Maps. Photos=Google Photos." "Its 2016 and we still don't have a waterproof iPhone. What's going on Apple?" read a tweet.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:38 pm on 14 Jun

read more at Tweets

LinkedIn Co-founder mints $2.9 bn from sale

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:11 pm on 14 Jun 2016,Tuesday

LinkedIn Co-founder and Executive Chairman Reid Hoffman will be pocketing around $2.9 billion from the $26.2 billion Microsoft-LinkedIn deal. With this, his total worth becomes $4.5 billion. The 48-year-old Stanford graduate had started LinkedIn in 2002 along with four Co-founders.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:11 pm on 14 Jun

read more at VentureBeat

Minecraft announces cross platform play

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:37 pm on 14 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Microsoft has announced an update for 'Minecraft' to let players on Xbox, PC, iOS, Android and Windows phone play together online. Mojang, the team responsible for Minecraft, revealed that it is introducing servers, dubbed Realms, where players and their friends can play together. It is rolling out in a test phase for Xbox and will officially launch later this year.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:37 pm on 14 Jun

read more at VentureBeat

Paper ad reveals OnePlus 3 price before launch

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:38 pm on 14 Jun 2016,Tuesday

An advertisement in a daily newspaper revealed the price and specifications of OnePlus 3 smartphone before the phone's official global launch on Tuesday. Priced at ₹27,999 in India, the handset features a fingerprint scanner, 6 GB RAM, 64 GB internal memory, a 16 MP rear camera and a 8 MP front camera, the advertisement claimed.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:38 pm on 14 Jun

Apple announces Home app for iOS 10

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:30 pm on 14 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Apple on Monday announced a dedicated app to control home devices, called the Home app, for iOS 10. It will enable homeowners to perform several actions like controlling lights, viewing doorbell cameras, or triggering multiple actions using a single command. The new app is part of Apple's HomeKit platform, which helps in pairing iPhones with different smart home devices.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:30 pm on 14 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

9-yr-old Indian-origin youngest at Apple's WWDC

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:03 pm on 14 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Anvitha Vijay, a nine-year-old Indian-origin girl is the youngest attendee at the Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this year. She has built several apps including Smartkins Animals and Smartkins Rainbow Colours, which helps kids recognise over 100 animals and learn about different colours respectively. Vijay is among the 350 developers selected for Apple's scholarship.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:03 pm on 14 Jun

read more at YourStory

Apple's Siri to let users book Uber rides

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:31 pm on 14 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Uber on Monday announced that iPhone users will soon be able to use Siri, Apple’s voice-activated personal assistant, to request rides and receive real-time updates. On requesting a ride through Siri, users will be able to see the fare, driver information and confirm the ride. Uber added that its rides can also be booked within the Apple Maps app.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:31 pm on 14 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

'Quake Champions' trailer released at E3

short by Dishant Sharma / 01:53 pm on 14 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Bethesda Softworks released the first trailer for 'Quake Champions', the latest installment of its first-person shooter franchise 'Quake' on Sunday at the E3 conference in Los Angeles, US. The multiplayer game is a "competitive arena-style," character-based shooting game for the Windows PC platform. A number of unique characters with special powers have been introduced in the game.

short by Dishant Sharma / 01:53 pm on 14 Jun

read more at YouTube

Bitcoin price surges to two-year high

short by Shankar Venkatraman / 12:57 pm on 14 Jun 2016,Tuesday

The price of digital currency Bitcoin surged 21% over the weekend to a two-year high of $720.77 on Monday, it's highest level since February 2014. Nearly 85% of the transactions were accounted for by Chinese investors, who, according to analysts, are investing in Bitcoin after IMF's report suggested a systemic risk in the country due to massive corporate debt.

short by Shankar Venkatraman / 12:57 pm on 14 Jun

read more at Bloomberg

Apple opens Siri to third-party developers

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:37 pm on 14 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Apple on Monday announced that it has opened its digital assistant 'Siri' for third-party developers through an API, allowing them to integrate Siri's voice functionality into their own apps. This would enable users to use Siri to access third-party apps including WhatsApp, Slack, Uber and Skype. The company also announced that Siri will feature in its recently unveiled macOS Sierra.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:37 pm on 14 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

PlayStation VR to release on October 13 at $399

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:53 am on 14 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Sony's Virtual Reality (VR) headset 'PlaySation VR' is set to release on October 13, 2016, at $399, the company announced on Tuesday at the E3 press conference. While the VR bundle, which includes the VR headset, a camera and Move controllers, will cost $499. The company will launch 50 games for PlayStation VR this year, Sony Interactive Entertainment Chairman said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:53 am on 14 Jun

read more at The Verge

Apple announces iOS 10 for iPhones, iPads

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:27 am on 14 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Apple on Monday announced iOS 10, the latest operating system for iPhones and iPads. It enables the phone's lock screen to wake up when it's lifted and uses deep learning locally for facial recognition. The new Messages app features several upgrades including invisible ink for hidden messages and rich previews that will allow playing YouTube videos directly from the app.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:27 am on 14 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Apple launches new macOS version 'macOS Sierra'

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:46 am on 14 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Apple on Tuesday launched a new version of its Mac operating system called 'macOS Sierra'. The new operating system will automatically push old files — videos watched, pictures which the user hasn't looked at in a long time — into the cloud. It also auto unlocks when it detects the connected iPhone or Watch nearby.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:46 am on 14 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Microsoft unveils the new Xbox One S

short by Dishant Sharma / 11:37 pm on 13 Jun 2016,Monday

Microsoft unveiled the new Xbox One S at the E3 2016 conference on Monday. The console, which features a 40 percent smaller body than its predecessor, includes 4K Ultra HD video support alongside a 2TB hard drive option and a redesigned controller with Bluetooth connectivity. The console's standard 500GB and 1TB editions have been priced at $299 and $349 respectively.

short by Dishant Sharma / 11:37 pm on 13 Jun

read more at Engadget

Apple launches developer version of watchOS 3

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:32 pm on 13 Jun 2016,Monday

Apple on Monday launched the developer version of 'watchOS 3' on the first day of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. The operating system claims to be seven times faster than the old one and features iPhone-like control for apps, 'Scribble' for quick replies and a special mode for disabled. Apple is also working on an SOS button for medical emergencies.

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:32 pm on 13 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Popflake app helps users pick movies to watch

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:38 pm on 13 Jun 2016,Monday

A digital products maker has developed an app called 'Popflake' which suggests movies to its users based on their interests. Users need to select 'tags' of their interests such as action, drama or science, based on which the app suggests movies from its database. The app claims to have a database of 820 tagged movies.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:38 pm on 13 Jun

read more at The Next Web

Here’s why I sold LinkedIn to Microsoft: CEO

short by Twishy Shahi / 10:07 pm on 13 Jun 2016,Monday

After Microsoft acquired LinkedIn for $26.2 billion, CEO Jeff Weiner in an email to employees explained why he decided to sell LinkedIn to Microsoft. He praised Nadella's leadership and said, "It didn’t take long before the two of us realised we had virtually identical mission statements." Weiner also shared some ideas on how LinkedIn could be integrated into Microsoft’s products.

short by Twishy Shahi / 10:07 pm on 13 Jun

read more at YouTube

LinkedIn cancels its Apple WWDC viewing party

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:13 pm on 13 Jun 2016,Monday

LinkedIn on Monday cancelled the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2016 viewing party at its San Francisco headquarters, a few hours before it was scheduled to start. Earlier, software giant Microsoft announced a WWDC afterparty to troll Apple on the first day of its annual event. Notably, Microsoft today announced to acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:13 pm on 13 Jun

read more at The Next Web

$26 bn for exaggerated work skills, user tweets

short by Dishant Sharma / 07:41 pm on 13 Jun 2016,Monday

Reacting to Microsoft's $26 billion acquisition of LinkedIn, a user tweeted, "By buying LinkedIn, Microsoft has essentially paid $26 billion for a database of everyone's exaggerated work skills". While another tweet read, "Microsoft is buying LinkedIn to complete its monopoly on things you want to unsubscribe from and don't know how you were signed up for".

short by Dishant Sharma / 07:41 pm on 13 Jun

read more at Twitter

Fallout Pip-Boy-like smartwatch launched at $350

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:24 pm on 13 Jun 2016,Monday

American video game publisher Bethesda Softworks has launched a $350 wrap-around 'Deluxe Bluetooth Edition' smartwatch on the lines of Pip-Boy device featured in the Fallout game. The app-controlled bluetooth-compatible smartwatch lets users take calls, view contacts, read messages and display various Fallout related screens. Only 5,000 units of the smartwatch have been made by the company.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:24 pm on 13 Jun

read more at The Verge

Airbnb best place to work in the US: Glassdoor

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:42 pm on 13 Jun 2016,Monday

Airbnb, a company that lets users list, find and rent lodging, has been ranked as the best place to work in the United States on Glassdoor. Consulting firm Bain & Company and software publisher Guidewire have been ranked second and third respectively. The list of 50 companies also includes Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, Adobe, Apple, Twitter, Red Bull and Nike.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:42 pm on 13 Jun

read more at Bloomberg

Chrome extension keeps incognito search history

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:01 pm on 13 Jun 2016,Monday

A free Google Chrome web browser extension called 'Off The Record' records the browsing history of the user in the incognito mode. The recorded browsing history is, however, available only as long as the windows are open in the browser. When the users are done with browsing, it wipes out the incognito visits to remove track of their activities.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:01 pm on 13 Jun

read more at The Next Web

Symantec to buy Blue Coat Systems for $4.65 bn

short by Aditya Kashyap / 11:40 am on 13 Jun 2016,Monday

Tech firm Symantec, the maker of Norton antivirus software, on Sunday announced it would buy security solutions provider Blue Coat Systems for $4.65 billion in an all-cash deal to ramp up its enterprise security business. Symantec had, in January, sold its data storage business Veritas for $7.4 billion to reportedly raise cash to turn around its core security business.

short by Aditya Kashyap / 11:40 am on 13 Jun

read more at The Financial Express

World's smallest violin made with Google sensors

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:50 pm on 12 Jun 2016,Sunday

Researchers have created the world's smallest working violin by incorporating Google's Project Soli, a tiny radar-based chip that detects mid-air finger movements with a Wekinator device. When users rub their thumb and forefinger over the device, the chip converts the movements into a sound similar to a violin. To recreate the violin sound, the device was taught different finger movements.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:50 pm on 12 Jun

read more at Daily Mail

Startup makes device to help fall asleep faster

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:18 pm on 12 Jun 2016,Sunday

US-based startup iFutureLab has created a device called 'FitSleep', that lets users fall asleep faster. Put beneath a pillow or mattress, FitSleep tracks users' heart rate, respiration rate, body movements and sleep patterns to emit alpha waves of 0-13 Hz. These waves accelerate the time taken by the users to fall asleep and reach the deep sleep phase.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:18 pm on 12 Jun

read more at YouTube

Google denies rigging search results for Clinton

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:26 pm on 12 Jun 2016,Sunday

Google has denied altering its search results to help the presumptive Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton. "Google autocomplete does not favour any candidate or cause," said a Google spokesperson. The clarification came in response to a YouTube video pointing out that Google search does not suggest "Hillary Clinton crimes" when users type "Hillary Clinton cri," whereas both Yahoo and Bing do.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:26 pm on 12 Jun

read more at The Verge

US successfully launches world's largest rocket

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:03 pm on 12 Jun 2016,Sunday

United Launch Alliance's 'Delta IV Heavy', the world's largest rocket, was successfully launched on Saturday carrying a classified payload for the US intelligence agency National Reconnaissance Office. The launch's live feed was cut after six minutes to maintain the payload's secrecy. The mission, NROL-37, was the ninth to be launched atop a Delta IV Heavy since its debut in 2004.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:03 pm on 12 Jun

read more at Daily Mail

Lenovo unveils smart shoes that track fitness

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:03 pm on 12 Jun 2016,Sunday

Lenovo has unveiled its 'Smart Shoes' that track the users' fitness, count the steps taken and record their walking gestures. The app-connected shoes come with a 3D-scanner to customise the insole. While its smart LED lighting syncs with the foot movements and the music played, users can also play interactive games and participate in fitness competitions through the shoes' app.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:03 pm on 12 Jun

read more at YouTube

Facebook apologises for inverted Philippine flag

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:44 pm on 12 Jun 2016,Sunday

Facebook on Sunday apologised over the inverted Philippine flag in the social media's greeting shared on the users' timleline for the country's Independence Day. “This was unintentional, and we’re sorry,” said Facebook. “We care deeply about the community in the Philippines and, in an attempt to connect people on Independence Day, we made a mistake,” it added.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:44 pm on 12 Jun

read more at YouTube

Solar-powered plane completes flight across US

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:25 pm on 12 Jun 2016,Sunday

Solar Impulse 2, the solar-powered plane on a record-breaking trip around the world without consuming fuel, completed its flight across the US on Saturday. It flew over the Statue of Liberty and landed in New York. The plane's next leg is across the Atlantic, with plans to land somewhere between Ireland and Morocco.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:25 pm on 12 Jun

read more at Mashable

Obama's phone cannot call, text or take pictures

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:39 pm on 12 Jun 2016,Sunday

US President Barack Obama recently appeared on 'The Tonight Show', where he said his new phone cannot text, take pictures, play music or even make calls due to security reasons. Obama added, "It's like...one of those play phones three year olds have." He recently got an upgrade from his old BlackBerry phone but didn't reveal the phone he currently uses.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:39 pm on 12 Jun

read more at The Verge

Charging cable with automatic phone backup made

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:08 am on 12 Jun 2016,Sunday

A UK-based startup has made 'Meem', a charging cable that automatically backs up a device every time it is charged. The app-connected cable compatible with both Android and iOS devices includes a small physical device to store a device's data backup. Users can retrieve their backed up data by entering a four-digit PIN on the cable's app.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:08 am on 12 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

New algorithm to determine groundwater levels

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:50 pm on 11 Jun 2016,Saturday

US-based scientists have developed an algorithm that helps them to use satellite data to determine groundwater levels across large areas. The data was obtained by monitoring tiny changes in the elevation of Earth's surface using electromagnetic waves. "It could be especially useful in agricultural regions, where groundwater pumping is common and aquifer depletion is a concern", a researcher said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:50 pm on 11 Jun

Growing exoskeleton made to help children walk

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:49 pm on 11 Jun 2016,Saturday

The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) has made an exoskeleton to help children with spinal muscular atrophy walk. Made with telescoping supports that get taller with the child, it uses five motors in each leg with sensors to detect the intention of movement. An onboard computer follows the child's steps to provide mobility. It currently has a five-hour battery life.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:49 pm on 11 Jun

read more at YouTube

Twitter reacts to FB forcing Moments app install

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:26 pm on 11 Jun 2016,Saturday

Reacting to Facebook forcing users to install Moments app to save their synced photos from being deleted, a user tweeted, "I'm gonna delete @facebook from my phone before I install Messenger AND Moments!" Another tweet read, "You forced users to install Messenger, now you threaten to delete some photos if they don't install Moments."

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:26 pm on 11 Jun

read more at Twitter

Thiel won't silence our writers: Gawker Founder

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:28 pm on 11 Jun 2016,Saturday

After Gawker Media filed for bankruptcy, its Founder Nick Denton tweeted, "Even with his billions, Thiel will not silence our writers. Our sites will thrive — under new ownership — and we'll win in court." A user tweeted, "Is this the end of #Gawker? Hmm. I don't really mind either way." "#GawkerMedia responsible for its own downfall," tweeted another user.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:28 pm on 11 Jun

read more at Tweets

Amazon to launch music streaming service: Report

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:00 pm on 11 Jun 2016,Saturday

According to a Bloomberg report, Amazon is working on a paid music streaming service with record labels and separate from its Prime subscription. Under the $99-a-month Prime subscription, it offers a free music service with a limited catalog. The new service, that will put Amazon in direct competition with companies like Spotify, will reportedly be offered at $9.99 per month.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:00 pm on 11 Jun

read more at Bloomberg

Facebook forces users to shift to Moments app

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:03 pm on 11 Jun 2016,Saturday

Facebook is forcing its users to shift to the company's Moments app by July 7 this year to save their photos stored in the album called 'Synced' from being deleted. Syncing photos allows users to automatically upload photos from their smartphone to a private album on Facebook. This move has made Moments the number one app in the App Store.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:03 pm on 11 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Gawker Media files for bankruptcy

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:50 pm on 11 Jun 2016,Saturday

US-based Gawker Media, which is fighting a legal battle against wrestler Hulk Hogan, filed for bankruptcy on Friday. Hogan, backed by PayPal Co-founder Peter Thiel, sued Gawker after it published a clip of his sex tape and a blog post analysing it. A jury ordered Gawker to pay $140 million in damages to Hogan, which the company is currently appealing.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:50 pm on 11 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Twitter reacts to Lenovo's bendable phone CPlus

short by Dishant Sharma / 01:23 am on 11 Jun 2016,Saturday

Reacting to Lenovo unveiling its new bendable concept smartphone 'CPlus', a user tweeted, "A Crazy bendable concept phone from #LenovoTechWorld -- it went from being flat to being worn like a snap bracelet". While another user tweeted, "Lenovo is taking flexibility to the next level". "Lenovo's bendy CPlus phone is as flexible as a yoga master", read another tweet.

short by Dishant Sharma / 01:23 am on 11 Jun

read more at Tweets

Short film scripted by AI released

short by Prashanti Moktan / 09:37 pm on 10 Jun 2016,Friday

'Sunspring', a film scripted completely based on algorithms by the Artificial Intelligence (AI) software 'Jetson', was released on Thursday. Filmmaker Oscar Sharp and AI researcher Ross Goodwin fed the software with a list of science fiction movie scripts like 'The Avengers' and 'Terminator' and dialogues from a sci-fi filmmaking contest. The film contains random dialogues like "go to the skull".

short by Prashanti Moktan / 09:37 pm on 10 Jun

read more at YouTube

Man steals 19 iPhones dressed as store employee

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:49 pm on 10 Jun 2016,Friday

A man dressed as an Apple store employee, wearing a blue T-shirt imprinted with an Apple logo, recently stole 19 iPhones worth $16,130 from an Apple retail store in New York City, according to DNAInfo. Two similar instances happened in March at another store, where a group of thieves dressed as store employees stole 67 iPhones worth almost $50,000.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:49 pm on 10 Jun

read more at Engadget

Twitter hack reveals 123456 most common password

short by Twishy Shahi / 08:33 pm on 10 Jun 2016,Friday

In a recent theft of Twitter usernames and passwords involving 32 million users, '123456' was the most commonly used password, according to security firm LeakedSource. It was followed by passwords like '123456789', 'qwerty' and 'password'. Notably, more than 1,20,000 people whose credentials were hacked had used '123456' as their Twitter password.

short by Twishy Shahi / 08:33 pm on 10 Jun

read more at Daily Mail

Lenovo unveils bendable smartphone, tablet

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:32 pm on 10 Jun 2016,Friday

Lenovo on Thursday showcased its concept bendable smartphone 'CPlus' and tablet 'Folio'. The smartphone, which the company's CTO said will come in two sizes, can reportedly be worn like a wearable device by wrapping it around the wrist, while the tablet can fold in half. However, Lenovo has not revealed any time frame for its launch.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:32 pm on 10 Jun

read more at Engadget

Apple creates new company to sell solar energy

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:05 pm on 10 Jun 2016,Friday

Technology giant Apple has formed a new subsidiary, called Apple Energy LLC, in order to sell the surplus solar power generated by its campuses in Cupertino and Nevada. The new company filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, seeking authority to sell power on wholesale markets across the US starting from August 5, 2016.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:05 pm on 10 Jun

read more at Engadget

Facebook allows users to post videos in comments

short by Dishant Sharma / 06:31 pm on 10 Jun 2016,Friday

Facebook has introduced a new feature that lets users post videos as comments to posts and status updates. Available across all Facebook platforms including Android and iOS, the feature can be accessed by using the camera button which was earlier used to post photos in comments. Notably, this is the third video-based feature introduced by Facebook this year.

short by Dishant Sharma / 06:31 pm on 10 Jun

read more at The Verge

Line files for dual IPO, to raise $1 billion

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:12 pm on 10 Jun 2016,Friday

Japan’s Line Corporation, the company behind messaging app Line, on Friday announced that it has filed to go public on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange next month, valuing the company at more than $5 billion. It plans to raise more than $1 billion through the IPO making it Japan's biggest IPO this year.

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:12 pm on 10 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Motorola unveils new Moto Z line of smartphones

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:49 pm on 10 Jun 2016,Friday

Motorola on Thursday unveiled Moto Z and Moto Z Force, its first devices compatible with the new Moto Mods. Moto Mods are magnetic swappable backs that bring additional features to the phones, like speakers, a projector and external battery packs. The 5.5-inch Moto Z, which the company claims is the world's thinnest premium smartphone, has a thickness of 5.2 mm.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:49 pm on 10 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Facebook adds 360º photos to its newsfeed

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:10 pm on 10 Jun 2016,Friday

Facebook on Thursday launched a new feature that allows its users to upload photos with 360º views. Users can upload the photos taken from 360º cameras or a 360 photo app or can convert panoramic photos taken on a mobile phone into a 360º view. The photos can also be viewed in virtual reality compatible devices like Samsung Gear VR.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:10 pm on 10 Jun

read more at Reuters

App Store Q1 revenue 90% more than Google Play

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:59 am on 10 Jun 2016,Friday

According to a report released by the business intelligence company App Annie, iOS App Store revenues for Q1 2016 were 90% higher than those of Google Play. App Store revenues were mostly driven by in-app subscriptions like Spotify and Netflix. The report also revealed that the total time spent on Android apps increased by 63% from 2014 to 2015.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:59 am on 10 Jun

read more at VentureBeat

DOJ asks for retrial over Apple-Samsung case

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:53 pm on 09 Jun 2016,Thursday

The US Department of Justice asked the Supreme Court to overturn an appeals court ruling favouring Apple over Samsung in patent litigation and asked it to return the case to the trial court. Earlier, Samsung was ordered to pay Apple $930 million in the patent infringement case. Samsung appealed in the Supreme Court seeking a reduction in the compensation.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:53 pm on 09 Jun

read more at Reuters

YouTube launches Smart Offline feature in India

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:33 pm on 09 Jun 2016,Thursday

YouTube on Thursday launched a feature called 'Smart Offline' in India to let users take advantage of cheaper data rates charged by mobile operators at night. This feature lets users schedule their offline video downloads for night using a new 'Save overnight' option when discounted data plans are active. Scheduled videos can be watched offline in the morning without buffering.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:33 pm on 09 Jun

read more at Google Blog

Samsung loses $580 mn after Elon Musk's tweet

short by Twishy Shahi / 08:46 pm on 09 Jun 2016,Thursday

Samsung SDI, a component making unit of Samsung, lost $580 million on Wednesday as its shares plunged 8% following a tweet from Elon Musk clarifying that Tesla would procure batteries exclusively from Panasonic. Earlier, reports suggested that Samsung SDI might also supply batteries for Tesla. Notably, Panasonic added $800 million to its market value after the tweet.

short by Twishy Shahi / 08:46 pm on 09 Jun

read more at Autoblog

Xiaomi leads fitness bands market in India: IDC

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:18 pm on 09 Jun 2016,Thursday

Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi dominated the fitness bands market in India followed by GOQii, Fitbit, Samsung and Motorola in Q1 2016, according to a report by research firm IDC. It added that over 400,000 units of fitness wearables were sold in the country during the period. Further, the online medium was the most preferred channel for vendors to sell wearables.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:18 pm on 09 Jun

read more at Inc42

Apple, Google to up developers' revenue share

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:07 pm on 09 Jun 2016,Thursday

Apple on Wednesday announced a new revenue sharing model for app developers wherein the developers will get 85% of the revenue, up from 70%. However, the increase will come in place once a subscriber completes the first year. Google is also reportedly working on a similar model, where developers will get 85% of the revenue right from the first year.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:07 pm on 09 Jun

read more at Recode

Government rejects Google's Street View plans

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:04 pm on 09 Jun 2016,Thursday

The Home Ministry has rejected Google’s plan to cover India through 360-degree street-level 3D imagery using its Street View service. The rejection comes after security agencies analysed the coverage would compromise India’s security. Google had launched Street View on a pilot basis at tourist sites including the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:04 pm on 09 Jun

read more at PTI

'Don't know when autonomous cars will be ready'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:17 pm on 09 Jun 2016,Thursday

Responding to a question about when self-driving cars will become reality at a shareholder meeting on Wednesday, Alphabet's executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said, "It's very hard to know". "The consensus I think within the company is that it's some years, not decades, but it is very much dependent on regulation. And it also depends on where you are", he added.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:17 pm on 09 Jun

read more at The Verge

Twitter reacts to Elon Musk's flying metal suit

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:07 pm on 09 Jun 2016,Thursday

Reacting to SpaceX Founder Elon Musk's "Something like a flying metal suit" answer to "What was Musk doing at the Pentagon?" article, a user tweeted, "The problem with you saying such things is that we can't be sure you are joking." Another user tweeted, "Tony Stark was modelled after Elon." "I knew that you were Iron Man", tweeted a user.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:07 pm on 09 Jun

read more at Tweets

Google image search slammed for being racist

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:04 pm on 09 Jun 2016,Thursday

Google image search has been slammed for being racist after a US student pointed out the difference between results for "Three black teenagers" and "Three white teenagers". While image search for black teenagers showed images of prisoners' mugshots, searching white teenagers showed images of smiling young people. Similarly, searching "unprofessional hairstyles" showed images of black women.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:04 pm on 09 Jun

read more at The Guardian

Self-driving solar boat aims to cross Atlantic

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:35 pm on 09 Jun 2016,Thursday

Self-driving solar-powered boat named 'Solar Voyager' is on a voyage to cross the Atlantic Ocean to become the first vessel to cross an ocean using solar power. Built by Isaac Penny and Christopher Sam Soon, the boat started its voyage on June 1 and is expected to reach Portugal this fall. The 18-foot long boat has a 280-watt solar array.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:35 pm on 09 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Morgan Stanley fined $1M for lax data protection

short by Shankar Venkatraman / 01:37 pm on 09 Jun 2016,Thursday

US investment bank Morgan Stanley was on Wednesday penalised $1 million for lax protection of confidential consumer data, after an employee took records on 7,30,000 clients. The employee transferred the consumer data to his personal computer, before “a likely third party” hacked into his server to access the data, and posted some of it online for sale, the SEC said.

short by Shankar Venkatraman / 01:37 pm on 09 Jun

read more at The Financial Express

India, US to sign framework for cyber relations

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 01:29 pm on 09 Jun 2016,Thursday

India and the US will sign a framework for a bilateral cyber relationship in the next two months, a joint statement said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama have committed to enhance cyber collaboration on critical infrastructure, cybercrime, cybersecurity research and development, and capacity building. The leaders also emphasised that cyberspace enables economic growth.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 01:29 pm on 09 Jun

'Le 2' 2nd most searched on Google today

short by Ankur Vyas / 11:56 pm on 08 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Following the launch of Chinese smartphone maker LeEco's Le 2 Android smartphone featuring a 5.5-inch HD screen and 3 GB of RAM at ₹11,999, 'Le 2' was the second most trending Google search in India on Wednesday. It was most looked up in Jharkhand, Punjab and Haryana. 'Eric Bailly' was the other trending Google search.

short by Ankur Vyas / 11:56 pm on 08 Jun

read more at Google

Yahoo puts its 3,000 patents on sale: Report

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:47 pm on 08 Jun 2016,Wednesday

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, American internet company Yahoo has put around 3,000 of its patents up for sale and expects to fetch more than $1 billion. The report mentioned that the list of patents, dating back to Yahoo's initial public offering in 1996, also includes the company's original search technology.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:47 pm on 08 Jun

read more at Reuters

Man survives a year with artificial heart

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:37 pm on 08 Jun 2016,Wednesday

A 25-year-old man named Stan Larkin survived on a 'SynCardia' temporary total artificial heart for 555 days until a successful heart transplant earlier this month. His real heart was removed after being diagnosed with a condition that causes heart failure without warning. To keep the artificial heart going, Larkin carried a 6-kg wearable power supply in a backpack.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:37 pm on 08 Jun

read more at YouTube

Craigslist founder donates $1 mn to Wikipedia

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:02 pm on 08 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Craig Newmark, the founder of the classified advertisements portal 'Craigslist', has donated $1 million to support the free online encyclopedia 'Wikipedia'. The amount was donated to a fund set up by the Wikimedia Foundation. "Wikipedia is a record of what happened and what is happening in the world, and we need that historical record to make good decisions", Newmark said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:02 pm on 08 Jun

read more at VentureBeat

Apple removes app simulating female orgasm sound

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:36 pm on 08 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Apple has removed a game app called 'La Petite Mort' which simulated female orgasmic sounds. The app includes pixelated landscapes which respond to the touch of the users' fingers with corresponding sound effects. While there are no points or levels, users can unlock various 'experiences' based on their movements. However, the app is available on Google Play Store.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:36 pm on 08 Jun

read more at Mashable

Phone's vibration motor made to act as mic

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:28 pm on 08 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Two US-based researchers have developed 'VibraPhone', a device that can turn the vibration motor in smartphones and fitness trackers into a microphone. The motor has a magnetic surface whose position is controlled by an applied voltage, producing the vibration effect. VibraPhone showed that the magnetic surface's motion can be similarly controlled through the sound wave vibrations in the air.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:28 pm on 08 Jun

read more at Engadget

Firm launches hover engines at $9,999 per pair

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:21 pm on 08 Jun 2016,Wednesday

California-based hover technology company Arx Pax on Wednesday launched its new hover engines, the HE3.0, at $9,999 per pair. The engines can carry up to 60 kg and can rise up to 20 mm from the ground. The company also launched Magnetic Field Architecture (MFA) Bundle, a kit that allows its customers to build systems with hover technology, at $1,589.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:21 pm on 08 Jun

read more at The Verge

Microsoft trolls Apple with WWDC afterparty

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:28 pm on 08 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Microsoft has trolled Apple by arranging a 'WWDC afterparty', scheduled after the first day of Apple's annual event for app makers and developers on June 13. Microsoft has invited iOS developers to view the latest robotics and fly Parrot drones. It also wants the developers to experience Xamarin, a company owned by Microsoft to let developers build cross-platform apps.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:28 pm on 08 Jun

read more at The Next Web

Google's new iOS app turns live photos into GIFs

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:13 pm on 08 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Google on Tuesday launched a new iOS app, called 'Motion Stills', that stabilises blurry live photos and allows its users to turn live photos into shareable GIFs. The new app tries to determine the photo's background and foreground to isolate them for better stabilization and then tries to determine the best starting and ending point for the loop.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:13 pm on 08 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

New mobile case can run Android on iPhones

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:35 pm on 08 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Nick Lee, CTO of the US-based mobile development firm Tendigi, has developed a proof-of-concept mobile case that can run Android Marshmallow on an iPhone 6s handset. Lee, known for another recent hack where he installed Windows 95 operating system on an Apple Watch, also included HDMI and USB ports, and an SD card slot in the mobile case.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:35 pm on 08 Jun

read more at The Next Web

World's 1st passenger drone cleared for testing

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:27 pm on 08 Jun 2016,Wednesday

The world's first passenger drone 'Ehang 184', capable of autonomously carrying a person in the air for 23 minutes has received clearance for testing in Nevada, US. The vertical take off drone can fly at altitudes up to 3.5 km at a speed of 100 km/h once a passenger inputs the destination. It's expected to begin testing later this year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:27 pm on 08 Jun

read more at The Guardian

Sandberg most powerful woman in tech: Forbes

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:18 pm on 07 Jun 2016,Tuesday

For the fifth consecutive year, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg has been named the most powerful woman in technology on the Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women list. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki and HP CEO Meg Whitman were ranked second and third respectively. The list also includes Oracle Co-CEO Safra Catz, Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat and Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer.

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:18 pm on 07 Jun

read more at Forbes

Microsoft launches new project management tool

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:48 pm on 07 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Microsoft on Monday launched 'Planner', a new project management and team collaboration tool for Office 365 users. With this, the company will enter into a competitive space that includes Trello, Asana and Atlassian's JIRA Core. Planner features a board-based interface where users can plan projects for their teams, assign tasks, share files and get a visual overview of the progress.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:48 pm on 07 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

FB bug allows hackers to alter chat messages

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:59 pm on 07 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Online security company Check Point Software Technologies has discovered a security flaw in Facebook that can allow any hacker to alter the chat messages on the Android app and desktop after they were sent. "By exploiting this vulnerability, cybercriminals could change a whole chat thread without the victim realizing", a researcher said. However, Facebook’s security team had patched this bug.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:59 pm on 07 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

LG launches 'Mosquito Away TV’ from ₹26,900

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:56 pm on 07 Jun 2016,Tuesday

South Korean electronics company LG on Tuesday launched its new range 'Mosquito Away TV', that acts as a mosquito repellent, in India priced at ₹26,900 for the 80 cm model and ₹47,500 for the 108 cm model. It features an ultrasonic device which, once activated, uses sound wave technology to repel mosquitoes without emitting any harmful radiations, the company said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:56 pm on 07 Jun

read more at The Financial Express

Wipro to use AI to replace 3k engineering jobs

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:27 pm on 07 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Wipro will use its Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform 'Holmes' to automate software maintenance jobs of around 3,000 engineers in 'fixed-price' projects, saving up to $46.5 million, according to a Livemint report. The report added that this is part of Wipro's plan of generating $60-$70 million in revenue by selling the AI platform to its clients in the current financial year.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:27 pm on 07 Jun

read more at Livemint

US SC rejects Google plea to drop AdWords case

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:27 pm on 07 Jun 2016,Tuesday

The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal from Google to dismiss a 2008 class action lawsuit from California advertisers who purchased advertisements through the company's AdWords service. The advertisers alleged that Google misled them by not informing that their advertisements might appear on error pages and parked domains. Advertisers are seeking a refund on their payments.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:27 pm on 07 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

George Hotz's firm develops $1k self-driving kit

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:20 pm on 07 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Comma.ai, founded by George Hotz who is known for cracking the iPhone and PlayStation 3, has developed a $1,000 self-driving car kit that can transform any car into a smart self-driving car. Unlike Tesla or Google's self-driving tech, Comma.ai's system tracks driving data, feeds it back into the company database and then instructs the car to emulate the driving habits.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:20 pm on 07 Jun

read more at The Verge

USB fingerprint scanner made to secure laptops

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:04 pm on 07 Jun 2016,Tuesday

US-based biometric technologies company Synaptics has developed 'Turnkey', a USB port compatible fingerprint scanner to secure laptops and computers. Users need to put the scanner into a USB port in their systems after registering their fingerprints. Once registered, fingerprint becomes the primary way to access a system through a single touch of a finger.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:04 pm on 07 Jun

read more at The Verge

Tesla Model X autonomously hits building: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:58 pm on 07 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Puzant Ozbag, owner of a five day old Tesla Model X has claimed that during parking, the car suddenly accelerated at high speed on its own and crashed into a building. The car's airbags opened and Ozbag's wife suffered burns on her arms. "Tesla should stop deliveries and investigate the cause of this serious accident," Ozbag said.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:58 pm on 07 Jun

read more at The Next Web

Facebook appoints Adobe's Umang Bedi as India MD

short by Twishy Shahi / 01:58 pm on 07 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Facebook on Tuesday appointed Umang Bedi as Managing Director for India, effective from July this year. He will take over from Kirthiga Reddy, who is relocating to the US to take on a new role at Facebook's headquarters. Prior to joining Facebook, the Harvard Business School alumnus was the Managing Director, South Asia, at Adobe for five years.

short by Twishy Shahi / 01:58 pm on 07 Jun

read more at Livemint

Reveal trailer of FIFA 17 released

short by Dishant Sharma / 05:28 am on 07 Jun 2016,Tuesday

Electronic Arts on Tuesday released the reveal trailer for the upcoming football video game, FIFA 17. The trailer, narrated by new Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, features Manchester United's Anthony Martial, Chelsea's Eden Hazard, Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus and Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez. The game is scheduled to release on Playstation, XBox, and PC on September 29, 2016.

short by Dishant Sharma / 05:28 am on 07 Jun

read more at YouTube

Bose debuts wireless headphones starting at ₹10k

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:09 pm on 06 Jun 2016,Monday

Bose on Monday launched two noise-cancelling wireless headphones QuietComfort 35, QuietControl 30 and two earphones SoundSport, SoundSport Pulse starting from ₹10,000. The QuietComfort 35 headphones claim to deliver 20 hours of music playback in a single charge and have in-built buttons to control volume and manage incoming calls. Further, SoundSport Pulse earphones come with a heart rate monitor.

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:09 pm on 06 Jun

read more at Mashable

LeT using 'Calculator' app to avoid surveillance

short by Sadiya Aftab / 08:23 pm on 06 Jun 2016,Monday

According to reports, interrogations of captured Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives have revealed that terrorists have been communicating with their handlers in Pakistan using a modified 'Calculator' app to avoid the Army's surveillance. The app reportedly used 'cognitive digital radio' networks to exchange messages and GPS locations on offline maps without access to mobile phone signals or WiFi.

short by Sadiya Aftab / 08:23 pm on 06 Jun

read more at Tweets

Beacons in Korea to help pregnant women get seat

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:05 pm on 06 Jun 2016,Monday

South Korea has launched a pilot called 'Pink Light', which lets pregnant women get seats in the trains through a bluetooth-connected beacon. Light-up signs have been installed in the Korean trains which illuminate when a pregnant woman with the beacon comes near a seat. Once the system detects the woman is seated, the light switches off.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:05 pm on 06 Jun

read more at Engadget

Zuckerberg's Twitter, Pinterest hacked: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:23 pm on 06 Jun 2016,Monday

Hacker group OurMine Team has claimed that it hacked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's Twitter and Pinterest accounts on Sunday. It said that the hack was possible through the data leak of millions of LinkedIn accounts. Facebook has confirmed that Zuckerberg's Facebook and Instagram accounts were not hacked, while the affected social media accounts were restored.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:23 pm on 06 Jun

read more at VentureBeat

Startup makes flame-free electric lighter 'Volt'

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:46 am on 06 Jun 2016,Monday

A UK-based startup has created an eco-friendly and flame-free electric lighter called 'Volt'. Priced at $32, the lighter claims to be windproof, waterproof and built by recycled products. It can light paper, cardboard, sparkles, candles and other items. Rechargeable through a USB cable, it claims to last for a month in a full charge, which takes five minutes.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:46 am on 06 Jun

read more at IndieGoGo

Russian firm, FB, Google enable machines to see

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:59 pm on 05 Jun 2016,Sunday

Russian developer VisionLabs has created an open source computer vision platform, in collaboration with Facebook and Google, that acts as a teaching machine and enables the machines to "see". For this, VisionLabs integrated two libraries – OpenCV, which is a library of programming functions aimed at real-time computer vision, and Torch, which offers several algorithms for deep machine learning.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:59 pm on 05 Jun

read more at The Financial Express

Secretively funded over 100 companies: Fadell

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:44 pm on 05 Jun 2016,Sunday

Nest Labs Co-founder and former CEO Tony Fadell has said, "Over the past eight to 10 years I’ve been investing in companies very secretively...and it’s been over 100 companies." Fadell said the investment was made in companies with disruptive ideas that can change the world in a positive way. "I’m just going to continue to do that," added Fadell.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:44 pm on 05 Jun

read more at Bloomberg

Airbus unveils world's 1st 3D-printed aircraft

short by Dishant Sharma / 06:18 pm on 05 Jun 2016,Sunday

Aircraft manufacturer Airbus recently unveiled 'Thor', which it claims is the world's first 3D-printed aircraft, at the 2016 edition of the Berlin Air Show. Weighing 21 kilograms and measuring 13 feet in length, the aircraft has been printed from a substance called polyamide. Printed aircraft offer ecological benefits as lighter jets use lesser fuel and release fewer pollutants.

short by Dishant Sharma / 06:18 pm on 05 Jun

read more at Phys

UK startup creates emotion-tracking wearable

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:18 pm on 05 Jun 2016,Sunday

UK-based startup Vinaya has created 'Zenta', a $249 wearable which tracks users' fitness, activity, sleep, as well as emotions including happiness and stress. It tracks users' heart rate, electrodermal activity, respiration and blood oxygen levels to state their emotional status through visual representations. Zenta also prompts personalised notifications to help users build better habits.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:18 pm on 05 Jun

read more at YouTube

Tor developer quits over sex assault allegations

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:11 pm on 05 Jun 2016,Sunday

Jacob Appelbaum, developer and security researcher at the Tor Project, a software that enables anonymous communication, has resigned over public allegations of sexual mistreatment. Appelbaum, also a journalist, has worked on WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden disclosures. Tor's Executive Director said the recent allegations against Appelbaum were more serious and concrete than the ones heard previously.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:11 pm on 05 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Smart toothbrush captures video inside the mouth

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:47 pm on 05 Jun 2016,Sunday

US-based startup Onvi has developed a smart electronic toothbrush 'Prophix', which live streams the inside of the users' mouth on their smartphones through an app. Priced at $400, it also allows users to take pictures of the interior of their mouths and choose from various attachments including mirror, rubber scaler and others. Prophix's app also provides tips to improve brushing.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:47 pm on 05 Jun

read more at YouTube

OnePlus designed a smartwatch but never launched

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:08 pm on 05 Jun 2016,Sunday

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus had designed a smartwatch but never launched it. The company's Co-founder and CEO Pete Lau said in an interview, “We had completed the design but we still decided to scrap it.” "We have to be focused,” Lau added. Lau, however, did not reveal any details about the smartwatch's design or the reason behind its abandonment.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:08 pm on 05 Jun

read more at The Verge

US startup makes apparel-folding robot FoldiMate

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:50 am on 05 Jun 2016,Sunday

A US-based startup has created 'FoldiMate', a robot that folds apparels by sensing the size and thickness of the fabric. Users need to hang the clothes on a rack attached to the robot and select the type of clothing through the provided buttons. FoldiMate folds, perfumes and de-wrinkles the apparels. It costs around $700-$850 and can be pre-ordered in 2017.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:50 am on 05 Jun

read more at Daily Mail

US Fed hacked over 50 times in last 5yrs: Report

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:23 pm on 04 Jun 2016,Saturday

The US Federal Reserve detected over 50 cyber breaches between 2011 and 2015, with several incidents described internally as "espionage", according to Fed records. However, the redacted records didn't mention who hacked the systems or whether they accessed sensitive information or stole money. This comes after hackers stole $81 million from Bangladesh central bank's account at the New York Fed.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:23 pm on 04 Jun

read more at Reuters

Mark locked down FB on Google+ launch: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:09 pm on 04 Jun 2016,Saturday

According to a book by former Facebook employee Antonio Garcia Martinez, the company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced an emergency meeting and declared a lockdown on the day Google Plus was launched in 2011. Martinez claims Zuckerberg hinted at product changes to counter Google's new product in a speech. Martinez also called Zuckerberg's speech 'aloof,' 'geek-speak,' and 'borderline psychopathic.'

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:09 pm on 04 Jun

read more at The Next Web

Facebook denies using phone's mic to target ads

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:40 pm on 04 Jun 2016,Saturday

In a statement released earlier in the week, Facebook dismissed the rumors that it uses phone's microphone to better target ads and news feed stories. The rumor had started when a communications professor at the University of South Florida said that Facebook was serving her ads with topics similar to what she had discussed near her phone.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:40 pm on 04 Jun

read more at Engadget

Researchers develop new Terahertz camera

short by Dishant Sharma / 07:39 pm on 04 Jun 2016,Saturday

Researchers at the University of Exeter have developed a new Terahertz camera that can observe at a microscopic level and can be used to find defects in microchips. The camera can scan through solid objects at resolutions almost double than usual terahertz imaging technologies. Scientists claim that the discovery will help scan optically opaque objects and help detect skin cancer.

short by Dishant Sharma / 07:39 pm on 04 Jun

read more at Engadget

New wearable suit learns its user's movements

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:39 pm on 04 Jun 2016,Saturday

Superflex, a spin-off company from the American nonprofit research organization SRI International, has developed a new wearable robotic suit that offers support to the body parts to reduce the load burden. The onboard sensors enable the suit to learn the wearer's movement and then use that information to turn on the power exactly when the wearer needs it.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:39 pm on 04 Jun

read more at Engadget

Google working on off switch for AI

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:08 pm on 04 Jun 2016,Saturday

According to a published paper, Google is developing a new framework that will act as an off switch for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. It would keep AI from learning how to prevent human interruption in its work. "Safe interruptibility can be useful to take control of a robot that is misbehaving and may lead to irreversible consequences", researchers said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:08 pm on 04 Jun

read more at Engadget

US Navy makes helmet with see-through display

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:32 pm on 04 Jun 2016,Saturday

Researchers at the US Navy have developed a helmet with high resolution see-through display to help the divers remain safer and more effective in their missions. It gives a real-time display of the diver's location and dive site, text messages, diagrams, photographs and augmented reality videos. The helmet's display can be turned on and off by the divers as required.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:32 pm on 04 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Alphabet's Nest Labs CEO Tony Fadell steps down

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:57 pm on 04 Jun 2016,Saturday

Tony Fadell, Founder and CEO of Alphabet subsidiary and smart home devices maker Nest Labs, stepped down as the CEO of the company on Friday. Fadell will join Google Co-founder and Alphabet CEO Larry Page as an advisor. Marwan Fawaz, who has previously worked with Motorola Home, Charter Communications and others, has been named the new CEO of Nest Labs.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:57 pm on 04 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Visa to introduce payment rings at Rio Olympics

short by Dishant Sharma / 01:10 am on 04 Jun 2016,Saturday

American financial services company, Visa is set to introduce the 'Visa payment ring', which will let people pay through hand gestures, at the upcoming Rio Olympics. The ring, which will be given to a total of 45 athletes at Rio, contains a secure microchip and an embedded antenna. Notably, the ring is battery-less and draws energy from the payment terminals.

short by Dishant Sharma / 01:10 am on 04 Jun

read more at Engadget

Google pulls Chrome extension that tracks Jews

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:41 am on 04 Jun 2016,Saturday

Google has pulled back a Chrome extension, called Coincidence Detector, that was used by racists to identify and track Jewish people online. The plugin added the digital equivalent of the gold star badge around Jewish people's surnames. Until being banned, the plugin had around 2,500 users and had a list of 8,768 names that were considered worthy of tracking.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:41 am on 04 Jun

read more at Engadget

FBI working on tattoo-based AI to spot criminals

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:48 pm on 03 Jun 2016,Friday

The FBI has been working with US-based National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop a tattoo recognition Artificial Intelligence (AI) system to identify criminals. However, the international non-profit digital rights group, the Electronic Frontier Foundation said that this system could violate the First Amendment rights, since tattoos are considered by many as a form of speech.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:48 pm on 03 Jun

read more at Engadget

NASA, Blue Origin partner for flight services

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:16 pm on 03 Jun 2016,Friday

NASA on Friday announced that it has selected Blue Origin to help transport new technologies to space on its reusable New Shepard rocket. Blue Origin is the sixth company to get selected for the program that offers ways to transport technologies into space. The six companies will compete for the task orders to deliver payload integration and flight services.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:16 pm on 03 Jun

read more at Engadget

FB's board seeks to curb Zuckerberg's control

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:37 pm on 03 Jun 2016,Friday

Facebook's board has proposed removing founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg's majority voting control in the event of him resigning from the leadership position. Currently, his shares collectively represent about 53.8% of total outstanding voting power. The proposed move, to be voted on June 20, is designed to make sure a future Facebook chief's management powers aren't limited, the board said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:37 pm on 03 Jun

read more at Reuters

Device lets users brew 3 litres of beer at $3

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:56 am on 03 Jun 2016,Friday

SodaStream, an Israel-based manufacturer of sparkling water making devices, has launched 'Beer Bar', a counter-top device that claims to brew three litres of beer at $3.34 in seconds. It comes with a one-litre bottle of concentrate for a light beer called Blondie, which contains 4.5% alcohol by volume. It brews beer by mixing the concentrate with sparkling water.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:56 am on 03 Jun

read more at Daily Mail

Startup makes portable smart window AC 'Noria'

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:52 am on 03 Jun 2016,Friday

US-based startup Noria Home has developed 'Noria', a $400 portable smart window air conditioner (AC) that can be controlled through a dedicated mobile app. While Noria includes a knob on the front to control the temperature, the AC's app uses bluetooth to set energy saving schedules. It can cool an area up to 160 square feet and weighs 13 kg.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:52 am on 03 Jun

read more at YouTube

I don't want a Plan B for Earth: Jeff Bezos

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:24 am on 03 Jun 2016,Friday

Speaking at a conference on Tuesday, Amazon and Blue Origin Founder Jeff Bezos said, "I don't want a Plan B for Earth. I want Plan B to make sure Plan A works". Assuring that Earth is the "best planet", Bezos added, "all of our heavy industry will be moved off planet, and Earth will be zoned residential and light industrial".

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:24 am on 03 Jun

read more at The Verge

Google open-sources interactive display software

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:08 am on 03 Jun 2016,Friday

Google on Thursday open-sourced its AnyPixel software that enables programming interactive displays and would let anyone create their own display at any scale or level of expertise. The company has made the hardware and software libraries and example apps available on GitHub. It also has developed a panel of six thousand light-up buttons, controllable through a web page.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:08 am on 03 Jun

read more at VentureBeat

Google launches tool to test website speed

short by Pragya Swastik / 12:17 am on 03 Jun 2016,Friday

Google on Thursday launched a tool that measures a website's speed on mobile and desktop, and its mobile-friendliness on a scale of 1 to 100. It also gives a detailed test report on a user's request, which includes suggestions on areas that the website needs to work on. The tool is aimed at helping business owners determine their website's performance.

short by Pragya Swastik / 12:17 am on 03 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Google's new art-based machine learning project

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:49 pm on 02 Jun 2016,Thursday

Google has released a new machine learning project, called Magenta, that can create or advance the state of machine-generated art. The company announced that it will make the project's models and tools openly available for artists to bring machine learning to their creations. Google also released the first piece of art, a 90-second piano melody, created using the Magenta program.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:49 pm on 02 Jun

read more at Engadget

Yahoo discloses FBI's requests for user data

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:16 pm on 02 Jun 2016,Thursday

American technology firm Yahoo on Wednesday disclosed three National Security Letters (NSL) that it received from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) asking for information related to user accounts. The company said that the disclosure "marks the first time any company has publicly acknowledged receiving an NSL following the reforms of the USA Freedom Act", that were introduced last year.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:16 pm on 02 Jun

read more at VentureBeat

Microsoft releases SQL Server 2016

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:41 pm on 02 Jun 2016,Thursday

Microsoft on Thursday announced the general availability of its latest relational database management system 'SQL Server 2016'. The release offers deep integration of the 'R' programming language, which is used for data science, that will enable analytics on real-time transactions without moving the data out of the platform. The price of the release will be same as the previous versions.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:41 pm on 02 Jun

read more at VentureBeat

Oracle sued over cloud accounting practices

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:11 pm on 02 Jun 2016,Thursday

Oracle was sued on Wednesday by a former employee who claimed that she was terminated for complaining about improper accounting practices in the company's cloud services business. She said that her bosses instructed her to make Oracle's cloud services' results look better by adding millions in accruals for expected business "with no concrete or foreseeable billing to support the numbers".

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:11 pm on 02 Jun

read more at VentureBeat

TRAI launches app to avoid unwanted calls, texts

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:05 pm on 02 Jun 2016,Thursday

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has launched an Android app 'DND Services', which lets users avoid unsolicited commercial communication including telemarketing calls and texts. The app will also let users file complaints with their respective telecom operators. Further, users can also set their preferences for selective commercial communication.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:05 pm on 02 Jun

read more at The Financial Express

Euro '16 fans to vote for Eiffel Tower's colours

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:39 pm on 02 Jun 2016,Thursday

Euro 2016 sponsor, Orange will light up the Eiffel Tower in the colours of the most popular team based on the social media activity across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The posts will be counted every day from 12:01 AM until 9:30 PM local time and the colours of the most popular team will be displayed after the day's last match.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:39 pm on 02 Jun

read more at Engadget

Xiaomi unveils Mi Band 2 priced at around ₹1,500

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 03:50 pm on 02 Jun 2016,Thursday

Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi unveiled its new fitness and sleep tracker Mi Band 2 today, priced at around ₹1,500. It comes with a 0.42-inch display which shows the time, steps taken, sleep data and a heart-rate monitor, which were missing in its predecessor Mi Band. The band claims a battery life of up to 20 days in a single charge.

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 03:50 pm on 02 Jun

read more at 91mobiles

Facebook launches 1,500 new emojis for Messenger

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:35 pm on 02 Jun 2016,Thursday

Facebook on Thursday launched 1,500 new emojis for its Messenger service, including diverse emojis for different skin tones and women in professional roles. The social network platform also announced that its emojis will now look the same for all users on Android, iOS and other platforms. An emoji picker has been introduced to help the users select the perfect emoji.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:35 pm on 02 Jun

read more at Facebook

Alibaba launches app to unlock apps with selfie

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:02 pm on 02 Jun 2016,Thursday

Alibaba has launched an Android app called 'Privacy Knight', which lets users lock the apps in their smartphones through a selfie of themselves. The selfie can unlock the protected apps within one second. It also captures selfies of intruders who try to unlock the protected apps and comes with a privacy vault to hide private photos and videos.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:02 pm on 02 Jun

read more at The Financial Express

Google enables tracking lost phones

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:09 am on 02 Jun 2016,Thursday

Google on Wednesday introduced several new features that include enabling iOS users to locate their lost or misplaced phones by googling 'I lost my phone', a feature which was launched on Android last year. Another feature would let its users directly go to their account by saying "Ok Google, show me my Google account" or by googling the account name.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:09 am on 02 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

1971 NY law restricting use of autonomous cars

short by Dishant Sharma / 01:15 am on 02 Jun 2016,Thursday

A 45-year-old New York state law, which requires drivers to keep one hand on the steering wheel while driving, is preventing autonomous vehicles from running in the state. The law previously had prevented Audi from demonstrating its autonomous cars in New York in May. Earlier, USA's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration decided that autonomous vehicles are legal under federal law.

short by Dishant Sharma / 01:15 am on 02 Jun

read more at Autoblog

Twitter reacts to OnePlus going invite-free

short by Dishant Sharma / 01:15 am on 02 Jun 2016,Thursday

Reacting to OnePlus' announcement of ending its invite-based smartphone purchase policy beginning from OnePlus 3, a user tweeted, "OnePlus 3 is to be invite free to purchase! No excuses not to get the phone now". While another user's tweet read, "OnePlus is embarking on a bold new venture: taking just your money in exchange for one of its new phones".

short by Dishant Sharma / 01:15 am on 02 Jun

read more at Twitter

Salesforce buys Demandware for $2.8 billion

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:34 pm on 01 Jun 2016,Wednesday

American cloud computing company Salesforce on Wednesday announced the acquisition of the cloud-based e-commerce services provider Demandware for around $2.8 billion. With this, Salesforce will enter into the e-commerce market with a new business division called 'Commerce Cloud'. Demandware, which raised $88 million in its initial public offering in 2012, is currently valued at $1.87 billion.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:34 pm on 01 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

OnePlus goes invite-free for all future devices

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:31 pm on 01 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus on Wednesday announced that it is ending the invitation-based system and making all its future product devices available without any invites. Until now, customers needed an invite to purchase OnePlus devices. The company also announced that it will launch its upcoming flagship smartphone, named OnePlus 3, invite-free on June 14.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:31 pm on 01 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Microsoft bans using Minecraft for marketing

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:55 pm on 01 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Microsoft and Microsoft-owned video game developer Mojang, the creator of the popular game Minecraft, announced new policies on Tuesday to cut down on corporations using Minecraft to market their goods and services. The new guidelines would restrict commercial companies, advertising agencies, non-profits or governments from commercially using Minecraft name, brand and other assets.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:55 pm on 01 Jun

read more at VentureBeat

'AI spots more offensive FB photos than humans'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:19 pm on 01 Jun 2016,Wednesday

As per a TechCrunch report, Facebook's Director of Engineering said that the company's Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems now report more offensive photos than humans do. Previously, the company had extensively relied on human contractors to review such type of content. The news came shortly after Facebook committed to European Commission code of conduct to tackle illegal online hate speeches.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:19 pm on 01 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Disney releases emoji version of 'Finding Nemo'

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:59 pm on 01 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Disney on Tuesday released an emoji version of its 2003 animated movie 'Finding Nemo'. The emoji version, told through a series of smartphone features with a relative background score, includes a dedicated emoji for each of the movie's characters including Dory, Nemo, Marlin, Crush. This follows Disney's other 'told by emoji' videos, which include Star Wars, Aladdin and Frozen.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:59 pm on 01 Jun

read more at YouTube

Startup makes a pad to charge devices wirelessly

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:24 pm on 01 Jun 2016,Wednesday

A French startup has created 'Energysquare', a $65 mousepad-sized rechargeable pad that allows users to charge multiple devices wirelessly at one time by attaching a small sticker to their devices. Energysquare is compatible with smartphones and tablets powered by Android, Windows and iOS. It also features a smart sleep mode to prevent any power wastage when no devices are connected.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:24 pm on 01 Jun

read more at TechCrunch

Teen hacks into N Korea's FB-like social network

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:26 pm on 01 Jun 2016,Wednesday

According to reports by online magazine Motherboard, Starcon, a Facebook-like social networking service that was recently launched in North Korea, was hacked by an 18-year-old college student from Scotland named Andrew McKean. McKean said that he guessed "admin" and "password" as the website's login credentials, which gave him admin privileges, allowing him to make several changes to the website.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:26 pm on 01 Jun

read more at Mashable

LG launches its semi-modular G5 phone at ₹52,990

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 05:23 pm on 01 Jun 2016,Wednesday

LG on Wednesday launched semi-modular G5 smartphone for ₹52,990 in India, which lets users attach additional accessories including the 360 VR, 360 CAM, Smart Controller and others. Powered by Snapdragon 820 processor, it runs on Android Marshmallow and comes with a 5.3-inch display, 4 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage, 16 MP rear and 8 MP front camera.

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 05:23 pm on 01 Jun

read more at 91mobiles

Whirlpool creates device to brew beer in 7 days

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:00 pm on 01 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Whirlpool's division W Labs has developed 'Vessi', a beer brewer for home priced at $1,800, which claims to brew beer within seven days. It consists of a single tank that ferments and carbonates the beer and lets users add flavours and additives. Further, the brewed beer can be filled into bottles or cans on a temperature selected by the user.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:00 pm on 01 Jun

read more at YouTube

Xiaomi agrees to buy 1,500 Microsoft patents

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:51 pm on 01 Jun 2016,Wednesday

Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi on Tuesday agreed to buy 1,500 patents from Microsoft for an undisclosed sum. It also inked a deal with the tech giant to have Skype and Microsoft Office apps pre-installed on its devices. Microsoft holds more than 60,000 patents and already has deals in place with Samsung, Acer, LG and others.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:51 pm on 01 Jun

read more at Recode

Twitter reacts to launch of $14,000 smartphone

short by Dishant Sharma / 12:03 am on 01 Jun 2016,Wednesday

After British-Israeli startup Sirin Labs launched the Solarin smartphone priced at $14,000, claiming to be the most secure phone, users reacted with tweets like "$14000? This phone is also pretty secure from customers" and "Sirin Labs build the Rolls Royce of smartphones". "The launch might be a little bit Skynet, but the #SOLARIN is pretty darn cool", read another tweet.

short by Dishant Sharma / 12:03 am on 01 Jun

read more at Tweets

Instagram announces new business tools

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:49 pm on 31 May 2016,Tuesday

Facebook-owned online media-sharing and social networking service, Instagram on Tuesday launched new business tools. The tools include business profiles, deeper analytics providing detailed information on audience engagement and the ability to turn Instagram posts into advertisements. Business profiles will feature a 'contact' button, making it easier to interact with businesses outside the app.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:49 pm on 31 May

read more at TechCrunch

SpaceX plans to offer postal service to Mars

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:49 pm on 31 May 2016,Tuesday

Elon Musk-owned aerospace company, SpaceX is planning to offer cargo delivery services to Mars, as per the recently updated price list on its website. The prices of the services start from $62 million for deliveries weighing nearly 4,020 kg. Earlier, SpaceX had announced that it is planning to send a Red Dragon Space Capsule to Mars "as soon as 2018".

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:49 pm on 31 May

read more at Daily Mail

World's most secure phone launched at $14,000

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:08 pm on 31 May 2016,Tuesday

British-Israeli startup Sirin Labs has launched 'Solarin', a smartphone that the company claims to be the world's most secure. Priced at $14,000, it includes military-grade encryption and a physical security switch that activates a shielded mode to make secure calls. Powered by Snapdragon 810 processor, Solarin comes with a 5.5-inch display, a 23.8 megapixel camera and quick charging technology.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:08 pm on 31 May

read more at YouTube

System to search databases by drawings developed

short by Dishant Sharma / 09:57 pm on 31 May 2016,Tuesday

University of Basel researchers have developed 'vitrivr', an open-source system that allows searching for items from image and video databases using hand-drawn sketches on tablets or interactive paper. Users can draw specific movement directions to search for videos with particular objects in motion. The searches can also be augmented by a range of other query types for more specific results.

short by Dishant Sharma / 09:57 pm on 31 May

read more at Phys

Online scoreboard lets users pay to be included

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:16 pm on 31 May 2016,Tuesday

Amsterdam-based entrepreneur Marc Kohlbrugge has made an online scoreboard 'Highscore.money', which lets users pay to get their name included. The more the users pay, the higher they get on the scoreboard. "People spend a lot of money on nonsense just to impress the people around them," said Kohlbrugge. The entrepreneur claims to have made $770 from the scoreboard so far.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:16 pm on 31 May

read more at The Next Web

Tech giants pledge to tackle online hate speech

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:03 pm on 31 May 2016,Tuesday

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft have committed to a European Commission code of conduct to tackle illegal online hate speeches. Dedicated teams in the companies will review and remove potentially offensive content in under 24 hours. In addition to the new guidelines, the companies will share their methods with other such companies not signed up to the code of conduct.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:03 pm on 31 May

read more at Engadget

Tech giants pledge to tackle online hate speech

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:30 pm on 31 May 2016,Tuesday

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft have committed to a European Commission code of conduct to tackle illegal online hate speeches. Dedicated teams in the companies will review and remove potentially offensive content in under 24 hours. In addition to the new guidelines, the companies will share their methods with other such companies not signed up to the code of conduct.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:30 pm on 31 May

read more at Engadget

Apple faces lawsuit over WiFi-related patents

short by Dishant Sharma / 06:37 pm on 31 May 2016,Tuesday

The California Institute of Technology has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple and chipmaking company Broadcom for allegedly violating four WiFi-related patents. The University claims that Apple's iPhones use Broadcom chips which copy its decoding and encoding technology to improve data flow. The lawsuit is calling for damages and a ban on the infringing hardware.

short by Dishant Sharma / 06:37 pm on 31 May

read more at Engadget

Data of 65 mn Tumblr accounts for sale at $150

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:33 pm on 31 May 2016,Tuesday

Microblogging and social networking platform Tumblr on Monday confirmed that a database of 65 million accounts are up for sale on the dark net for $150. The leak dates back to a Tumblr data breach that took place in early 2013. One of the largest data dumps of its kind, the database includes emails and passwords of the compromised accounts.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:33 pm on 31 May

read more at The Guardian

Intel announces its 1st 10-core desktop CPU

short by Dishant Sharma / 06:15 pm on 31 May 2016,Tuesday

Intel on Tuesday announced its first 10-core desktop CPU, the Core i7-6950X Extreme Edition, priced at $1,723. The processor, which runs at 3 GHz with boost speeds up to 3.5 GHz, will feature 25 MB of cache and will be capable of running 20 simultaneous work threads. This edition of i7 processors will also come in 8-core and 6-core variants.

short by Dishant Sharma / 06:15 pm on 31 May

read more at Engadget

Dell unveils world's 1st 17-inch 2-in-1 laptop

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:00 pm on 31 May 2016,Tuesday

Dell on Tuesday announced a line of 2-in-1 laptops, called 'Inspiron 7000', that includes the new 'Inspiron 17 7000' – the world's first 17-inch 2-in-1 laptop. It will feature a special infrared camera to support Windows 10's 'Windows Hello' feature, which is used for facial authentication. The series, also including 13-inch and 15-inch versions, will run on Intel's 6th-gen processors.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:00 pm on 31 May

read more at The Verge

We know your dark secrets: Reddit CEO Huffman

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:23 pm on 31 May 2016,Tuesday

Social networking service Reddit's Co-founder and CEO Steve Huffman has said "We know all of your interests. Not only just your interests you are willing to declare publicly on Facebook – we know your dark secrets, we know everything". Huffman was replying to an interviewer's question about Reddit's monetisation strategy.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:23 pm on 31 May

read more at The Next Web

Asus ZenBook 3 thinner than Apple's MacBook

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:54 pm on 31 May 2016,Tuesday

Asus on Monday unveiled the ZenBook 3 laptop starting from ₹67,200, which claims to be thinner and lighter than the Apple's MacBook. The ZenBook 3 is 11.9 mm thin against the 13.1 mm Apple MacBook. It comes with 12.5-inch display, 4GB RAM, Intel Core i5 processor and 256 GB of in-built storage and fingerprint sensor for logging in.

short by Pragya Swastik / 01:54 pm on 31 May

read more at The Verge

Smart wallet digitally holds all cards together

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:32 am on 31 May 2016,Tuesday

US-based startup X Lab has developed 'Spendwallet', a $99 smart wallet that digitally holds up to 20 cards of a user into one device. To make payments, a user needs to tap the smart wallet on the card reader installed at the stores. The rechargeable wallet claims to last for a month in a single charge.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:32 am on 31 May

read more at YouTube

'Doom' game soundtrack hiding 'sinister' imagery

short by Dishant Sharma / 11:53 pm on 30 May 2016,Monday

A gaming fan revealed that the soundtrack to the latest installment of the 'Doom' franchise hides images of pentagrams and '666', which are widely considered 'sinister' and relating to witchcraft and black magic. The images are visible when the game's music frequencies are visualized through a spectrogram. Notably, 1993's maiden installment of 'Doom' also featured such imagery.

short by Dishant Sharma / 11:53 pm on 30 May

read more at Engadget

Edward Snowden slams Australian metadata laws

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:57 pm on 30 May 2016,Monday

National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden has slammed the Australia's metadata laws, claiming that they violate the privacy of all the Australians. Snowden accused the government for using the laws to identify the sources of journalists. The metadata laws passed in March 2015 allowed the Australian government to access two years worth of its citizens' metadata without a warrant.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:57 pm on 30 May

read more at Mashable

Asus unveils home robot Zenbo priced at ₹40,000

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:17 pm on 30 May 2016,Monday

Asus on Monday unveiled a home robot Zenbo priced at ₹40,000, which can manage home, security, assist in the kitchen and take family photographs. Zenbo users can also buy goods online, log into accounts and input passwords with their voice through the robot. Zenbo can also sing, dance, tell stories and help the kids with their studies.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:17 pm on 30 May

read more at YouTube

Nazi coding machine found for sale on eBay

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 04:57 pm on 30 May 2016,Monday

A World War II-era machine used to exchange messages between Adolf Hitler and his generals has been found for sale on eBay for about $13.87, according to reports. The Lorenz teleprinter is stamped with an official German wartime number, the Swastika and Waffen-SS insignia. UK's National Museum of Computing, which bought the machine, is now looking for its missing components.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 04:57 pm on 30 May

read more at The Guardian

Asus debuts ZenFone 3 series starting at ₹16,750

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 01:45 pm on 30 May 2016,Monday

Asus on Monday unveiled three new smartphones namely ZenFone 3, ZenFone 3 Deluxe and ZenFone 3 Ultra priced around ₹16,750, ₹33,600 and ₹33,250 respectively. The devices run on Android Marshmallow and feature metal designs, fingerprint scanners and Snapdragon processors. While the 5.5-inch ZenFone 3 has 16 MP camera, the 5.7-inch Deluxe and 6.8-inch Ultra feature a 23 MP camera.

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 01:45 pm on 30 May

read more at 91mobiles

US startup develops smart massaging hoodie

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:26 am on 30 May 2016,Monday

A US-based startup has developed 'AiraWear', a $199 app-connected massaging hoodie which relaxes body through acupressure technology and claims to improve the body posture. It includes a six-modular detachable massage unit and an inflatable posture correction vest. Users can customise their massage type and intensity through the app. It claims to deliver three hours of massage in single charge.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:26 am on 30 May

read more at YouTube

World's fastest wearable circuits created

short by Dishant Sharma / 07:45 am on 30 May 2016,Monday

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison claim to have developed the world's fastest stretchable and wearable integrated circuits which contain two small intertwining power transmission lines in repeating S-curves. The 25-micrometre thick circuits operate at 40 gigahertz and features metal blocks that act as shields from any interference while also providing flexibility.

short by Dishant Sharma / 07:45 am on 30 May

Smart bracelet made to help the hearing impaired

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:14 pm on 29 May 2016,Sunday

French startup Novitact has developed 'Unitact', a smart bracelet that helps the hearing impaired people communicate easily through touch and vibrations. The app-connected device vibrates on the set alarm timings and lights up on receiving texts, calls or notifications. Users can also communicate important messages by assigning different vibrations to each message through the app.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:14 pm on 29 May

read more at Reuters

IIT graduate develops app to assist farmers

short by Dishant Sharma / 09:54 pm on 29 May 2016,Sunday

Ruchinilo Kemp, an IIT-Guwahati graduate, has developed an app that is assisting farmers in Rajasthan by helping them connect with agriculture sciences experts. Farmers can reach out for knowledge and assistance through photos, videos and text in their mother tongue. The app has managed to help around 44 farmers in nine villages across Udaipur district so far.

short by Dishant Sharma / 09:54 pm on 29 May

read more at The Better India

".game" domain officially opens for registration

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:38 pm on 29 May 2016,Sunday

Domain registration company, Uniregistry has launched the ".game" domain extension for registrations. It is aimed at the gaming community and is available on various domain registration companies worldwide. Many gaming brands have registered some names including 'Warcraft.game', 'CallofDuty.game' and 'Xbox.game'. However, 'Mario.game' is still available for registration on GoDaddy at ₹1,15,599.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:38 pm on 29 May

read more at VentureBeat

Snickers makes algorithm to read internet's mood

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:20 pm on 29 May 2016,Sunday

Energy bar Snickers has developed an algorithm 'Hungerithm', which the company claims can ascertain the mood of the internet. The algorithm, enabled to identify slangs and sarcasm, analyses around 14,000 social posts a day. Based on the analysis, Snickers decides the price of its bar at 7-Eleven convenient stores in Australia. The angrier the internet, the cheaper becomes the bar.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:20 pm on 29 May

read more at YouTube

Team develops insect-mimicking robot

short by Dishant Sharma / 06:47 pm on 29 May 2016,Sunday

Roboticists from South Korea's SNU Biorobotics Lab and UC Berkeley's Biomimetic Millisystems Lab have developed 'JumpRoACH', an insectoid robot which can mimic the behavior of insects. Weighing 59.4 grams, the robot can jump to a height of over five feet while stable or in motion and has the ability to stand itself back up on its legs.

short by Dishant Sharma / 06:47 pm on 29 May

read more at Mashable

US startup makes wearable Android tablet

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:47 pm on 29 May 2016,Sunday

US-based startup Rufus Labs has created 'Rufus Cuff', a $300 Android Kit Kat-based wearable tablet which also tracks the user's fitness. The waterproof tablet has a 3-2-inch touchscreen display, 16 GB storage space, multiple language support and LED alerts for incoming texts and calls. Designed to wear on the wrist, it also comes with a front-facing camera for video calling.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:47 pm on 29 May

read more at Engadget

UK startup makes alarm clock that brews coffee

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:18 pm on 29 May 2016,Sunday

A UK-based startup has developed 'The Barisieur', an electric alarm clock that can also brew a cup of coffee or tea. While users need to fill the clock's compartments with water, coffee and milk before sleeping, the clock automatically brews the beverage at the set time and wakes up the users. It also has a USB port for charging phone.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:18 pm on 29 May

read more at YouTube

ISRO to launch record 22 satellites in a mission

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 10:08 am on 29 May 2016,Sunday

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be launching a record number of 22 satellites in a single mission in June. Of the 22 satellites, three are Indian and the rest are all commercial ones, said ISRO Chairman Kiran Kumar on Saturday. Earlier in 2008, the space agency had sent 10 satellites into orbit in a single mission.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 10:08 am on 29 May

read more at PTI

Team designs multi-field invisibility technique

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:15 pm on 28 May 2016,Saturday

Singapore-based engineers have developed a multi-field invisibility technique that can make electronic and thermal sensors 'invisible' without compromising their performance. The existing such technologies that can make sensors 'invisible' usually decrease the sensors' performance or make them ineffective. The team created the ideal invisible sensor by covering it with a thin pure copper shell.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:15 pm on 28 May

read more at Phys

Asus unveils new VR-ready motherboard

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:51 pm on 28 May 2016,Saturday

Taiwan-based computer hardware company Asus announced a new Virtual Reality (VR)-ready motherboard, called X99, that will come with a price tag of ₹60,000 (excluding taxes). The motherboard's architecture is designed to allow 30% more cooling with three times less noise than other cooling devices. The device is expected to release in India at the end of June.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:51 pm on 28 May

read more at India Today

EBay's Pierre Omidyar backs Gawker in Hogan case

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:16 pm on 28 May 2016,Saturday

Pierre Omidyar, billionaire Co-founder of auction site eBay, is backing Gawker Media in a lawsuit against wrestler Hulk Hogan, whose original name is Terry Bollea. Omidyar is asking other media outlets to file legal briefs in support of Gawker. Backed by PayPal Co-founder Peter Thiel, Hogan has won a $140 million judgment against Gawker for publishing his sex tape.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:16 pm on 28 May

read more at Reuters

Twitter paid $322k in bug bounty in two yrs

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:53 pm on 28 May 2016,Saturday

Twitter on Friday revealed that it has paid over $322,000 through the micro-blogging site's bug bounty program 'HackerOne', launched in 2014. The platform received 5,171 bug submissions to its program from 1,662 researchers. While $12,040 was the highest amount paid to a single person, $140 was the lowest. Twitter said it has disclosed 20% of the resolved bugs publicly.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:53 pm on 28 May

read more at Engadget

Samsung showcases 5.5-inch 4K display for VR

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:24 pm on 28 May 2016,Saturday

Samsung showcased the prototype of a high-resolution 5.5-inch 4K screen designed for Virtual Reality (VR) at the Display Week conference held recently in San Francisco, US. It offers a 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution along with a pixel density of 806 pixels-per-inch. Samsung reportedly also showcased a 'Bio Blue' display that emits less blue light than its own AMOLED screens.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:24 pm on 28 May

Google reveals most misspelled words in America

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:24 pm on 28 May 2016,Saturday

Google on Thursday revealed the most misspelled words in America's 50 states. 'Cancelled', ‘pneumonia’, ‘vacuum’ and ‘niece' were among the most searched words for their spelling on the search engine. Further, people living in Massachusetts most searched Google to spell their own state's name. Google also revealed weird queries by Texans which included 'how to yodel' and 'do girls poop?'

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:24 pm on 28 May

read more at Daily Mail

Bengaluru launches 'Intelligent' app for buses

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 09:22 pm on 28 May 2016,Saturday

The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has launched an Android app called the BMTC Easy Travel Information Planner, which enables commuters to keep a track of real-time bus movements. It gives commuters suggestions regarding bus routes, and records whether buses skip stops, over speed or are delayed. It is reportedly the first such system in India.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 09:22 pm on 28 May

read more at The Better India

Bible translation with emojis to debut on iBooks

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:09 pm on 28 May 2016,Saturday

An adaptation of the King James Version Bible featuring emojis will release on Apple's iBooks on Sunday. The book, called 'Bible Emoji: scripture 4 millennials', took six months to complete and features around 80 emojis that replace the words like the Earth, God and light. Further, around 15% of the Bible text has been replaced with modern slangs.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:09 pm on 28 May

read more at Daily Mail

Smart rings to let couples watch series together

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:27 pm on 28 May 2016,Saturday

Ice cream brand Cornetto has developed a set of smart rings called 'Commitment Rings', which lets couples watch new episodes of series on streaming services only when they are together. Couples need to register on the rings' app which links them to the streaming services. The app detects when the rings are together and unlocks the streaming service.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:27 pm on 28 May

read more at YouTube

SpaceX completes 3rd successful landing at sea

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:15 pm on 28 May 2016,Saturday

Elon Musk-owned SpaceX, for the third consecutive time, successfully landed its Falcon 9 rocket on a drone ship at sea after it was launched on Saturday carrying the 'THAICOM 8' satellite. The satellite, which was put into an elliptical orbit 22,000 miles above sea level, is a commercial communications satellite intended to serve parts of India, Africa and South-East Asia.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:15 pm on 28 May

read more at TechCrunch

New tech adds pressure sensitivity to any phone

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:55 pm on 27 May 2016,Friday

University of Michigan engineers have developed a new technology, dubbed ForcePhone, that can add the force-sensitive capabilities, found in the latest iPhone devices, to any phone. It causes the phone to emit an 18-24 kHz sound wave through the phone's speaker and detects the changes in the wave through the microphone when a user presses a finger against the screen.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:55 pm on 27 May

read more at TechCrunch

200 TB maths problem proof becomes largest ever

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:37 pm on 27 May 2016,Friday

A supercomputer at the University of Texas at Austin recently published a 200 TB proof of a maths problem, making it the world's largest proof. The supercomputer proved that the 'Boolean Pythagorean triples problem', which asks "Is it possible to color all the integers either red or blue so that no Pythagorean triple are all the same color?", was false.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:37 pm on 27 May

read more at TechCrunch

Samsung announces Batman-inspired S7 Edge

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:12 pm on 27 May 2016,Friday

Samsung on Friday announced the Galaxy S7 edge Injustice Edition in collaboration with Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment to commemorate the third anniversary of the popular video game 'Injustice: Gods Among Us'. The limited edition handset will be available in early June in selected locations including China, Singapore, Korea, Latin America and Russia, with others to be announced soon.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:12 pm on 27 May

read more at The Next Web

Microsoft dynamically bans common passwords

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:37 pm on 27 May 2016,Friday

Microsoft has started dynamically banning certain common passwords like '12345' and 'qwerty' across its services including Skype, Xbox and Outlook, according to one of the company's blogs. The company said that the move is part of an effort to crack down on stolen passwords. This comes shortly after the reports of 117 million LinkedIn accounts being hacked.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:37 pm on 27 May

read more at Mashable

Microsoft, FB to build submarine cable system

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:29 pm on 27 May 2016,Friday

Technology giants Microsoft and Facebook on Thursday announced plans to build "MAREA", a 6,600 km subsea cable system across the Atlantic Ocean. It's designed to have a maximum bandwidth of 160 Tbps, the highest capacity under the Atlantic, the companies said. The two parties claimed that this cable system will be the first to connect the US to southern Europe.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:29 pm on 27 May

read more at Bloomberg

Twitter reacts to Google's $9bn Java lawsuit win

short by Dishant Sharma / 06:51 pm on 27 May 2016,Friday

Reacting to Google's victory against Oracle in the Java lawsuit, a user tweeted, "I really hope Google prevails in this stupid #Oracle Java lawsuit. The idea that APIs can't be freely reused is disgusting". "I feel like the whole Oracle vs Google lawsuit is like suing someone for labeling pipes in a house "hot" and "cold"", read another tweet.

short by Dishant Sharma / 06:51 pm on 27 May

read more at Tweets

Campaign launched to name Android N 'Neyyappam'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:30 pm on 27 May 2016,Friday

Following Google's announcement that it will crowdsource Android N's name, three Bengaluru-based techies have launched a campaign to get the latest Android operating system named 'Neyyappam'. Neyyappam is a traditional rice-based sweet of the state of Kerala. The official poll will close on June 9, after which the company will announce the final name.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:30 pm on 27 May

read more at TechCrunch

Oppo showcases foldable smartphone prototype

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:59 am on 27 May 2016,Friday

Chinese smartphone company, Oppo recently showcased a prototype of a smartphone that can fold in half. The concept device, featuring a foldable 7-inch display, runs on Android operating system and reportedly supports Oppo's VOOC battery charging technology, which the compny claims can charge a 3,000 mAh battery from 0 to 75% in 30 minutes.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:59 am on 27 May

read more at Mashable

Scientists training robots to feel pain

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:42 pm on 26 May 2016,Thursday

Researchers from the Leibniz University of Hannover in Germany are developing an "artificial robot nervous system to teach robots how to feel pain" and quickly respond to avoid potential damage to its body parts. The robotic nervous system classifies the information as light, moderate or severe pain and then responds appropriately depending on the type of pain.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:42 pm on 26 May

read more at Engadget

Intel unveils new 'Digital India' initiatives

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:45 pm on 26 May 2016,Thursday

Intel India on Thursday announced new initiatives to support the government's 'Digital India' campaign. The company introduced 'Unnati Kendra at Common Service Centre' in Haryana, that will serve as a common access digital learning centre. It also launched 'Digital Unnati', an online portal to help village level entrepreneurs learn how to assemble a PC online and develop their technology know-how.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:45 pm on 26 May

read more at The Financial Express

New system can help spot bias in algorithms

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:18 pm on 26 May 2016,Thursday

Researchers at the Carnegie Mellon University have developed a new system, called Quantitative Input Influence, that can help spot bias in algorithms by checking how much influence a given variable has over the final outcome. The news came after several reports of algorithmic bias accusations, including the one on Facebook for suppressing conservative news in its 'Trending Topics' section.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:18 pm on 26 May

read more at Engadget

Samsung showcases rollable OLED display

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:14 pm on 26 May 2016,Thursday

Samsung recently showcased a prototype of a rollable OLED display at the 2016 SID Annual Meeting in San Francisco. It is a 5.7-inch screen offering 1920x1080 full HD resolution and 386 pixels-per-inch pixel density. The company claimed that the screen is 0.3 mm thick, weighs five grams and can be rolled into a tube of radius 10 mm.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:14 pm on 26 May

read more at YouTube

Software piracy in India dropped to 58% in 2015

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:30 pm on 26 May 2016,Thursday

According to the BSA Global Software Survey, use of pirated software in India dropped down from 63% in 2011 to 58% in 2015, with the commercial value of pirated software being $2.68 billion. The software piracy rate globally in 2015 was 39% with a commercial value of $52.24 billion. Libya and Zimbabwe recorded the highest software piracy rate at 90%.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:30 pm on 26 May

read more at Trak.in

Motorola biz has not met expectations: Lenovo

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:47 pm on 26 May 2016,Thursday

Lenovo on Thursday admitted that it has failed to build on its acquisition of Motorola, which it purchased from Google for $2.91 billion in 2014. Lenovo sold 10.9 million devices in the final quarter this year, with Motorola contributing just five million devices to it. In January, Lenovo announced to unify the two phone businesses and rename Motorola to 'Moto'.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:47 pm on 26 May

read more at TechCrunch

Peter Thiel backed Hogan's case against Gawker

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:29 pm on 26 May 2016,Thursday

PayPal Co-founder and billionaire Peter Thiel reportedly funded wrestler Hulk Hogan defamation lawsuit against New York-based Gawker media for publishing his sex tape. Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, won a $140 million jury verdict against Gawker in March this year. Notably, the media platform had outed Thiel as gay in 2007.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:29 pm on 26 May

read more at Bloomberg

HP announces new line of gaming systems

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:19 pm on 26 May 2016,Thursday

HP has announced a new line of gaming systems called Omen, that includes two laptops, one desktop and a 32-inch quad-HD monitor. The laptops, starting at $899 for 15.6-inch model and $980 for 17.3-inch model, will support up to NVIDIA GTX 965M graphics. The desktop can offer 32 GB of RAM along with NVIDIA's new GTX 1080 Founder Edition card.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:19 pm on 26 May

read more at Engadget

Will.i.am launches his own Apple earphones

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:49 pm on 26 May 2016,Thursday

Singer and songwriter Will.i.am has launched bluetooth-enabled vinyl records inspired earphones 'i.am+' through Apple, priced at $229.95. Available in gold and black colours, the earphones' heads can clip together magnetically. With built-in mic and volume controls, the battery-powered earphones claim up to eight hours of playing time in a single charge.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:49 pm on 26 May

read more at The Verge

US nuclear force uses floppy disks, 1970s system

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:38 pm on 26 May 2016,Thursday

A report by the US government has revealed that its nuclear force uses floppy disks and 1970s-era computing system. The report added that taxpayers in the US spend $61 billion a year on maintaining these ageing technologies. Further, it said that the Pentagon was one of the several US departments where "legacy systems" needed urgent replacement.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:38 pm on 26 May

read more at The Next Web

Foxconn replaces 60,000 staff with robots

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:26 pm on 26 May 2016,Thursday

Chinese electronics manufacturer and iPhone maker Foxconn has reportedly replaced 60,000 staff at its Kunshan factory in China with robots. The company said that it is applying robotics engineering and other manufacturing technologies to replace the repetitive tasks previously done by employees. Since September 2014, around 505 factories across China have invested over $640 million in robots.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:26 pm on 26 May

read more at Engadget

Maha govt's 150 computers attacked by virus

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:18 pm on 26 May 2016,Thursday

Around 150 computers at the headquarters of the Maharashtra government, known as Mantralaya, were attacked by a ransomware called Locky. The virus encrypts files and asks users for ransom in return for access. The attack targeted files from the Revenue and Public Works departments, but the damage was contained before it could spread and all data is safe, officials said.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:18 pm on 26 May

read more at 91mobiles

Twitter reacts to Xiaomi's first drone launch

short by Dishant Sharma / 10:20 pm on 25 May 2016,Wednesday

Reacting to smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi's first drone launch, a user tweeted, "Xiaomi releases MI Drone. It's the beginning of the drone wars #drone". Another user posted, "Xiaomi release new 4K drone, which is as cheap as their smartphones". "This is an Impressive Drone but well it costs $450. Probably the first Mi product thats priced above expectations", read another tweet.

short by Dishant Sharma / 10:20 pm on 25 May

read more at Twitter

Pebble unveils two smartwatches, music wearable

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:17 pm on 25 May 2016,Wednesday

Pebble on Tuesday unveiled two new smartwatches 'Pebble 2' and 'Time 2' priced at $99 and $169 respectively and a $69 smart 3G-enabled wearable 'Pebble Core' for phone-free running with GPS and music. Both the smartwatches are waterproof and track the user's heart rate, activity and sleep. Further, Pebble Core streams music and has a voice note functionality.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:17 pm on 25 May

read more at Engadget

Twitter reacts to Eric Schmidt using an iPhone

short by Dishant Sharma / 10:02 pm on 25 May 2016,Wednesday

Reacting to Google's ex-boss Eric Schmidt's revelation that he uses an iPhone, a user tweeted, "#believe in your own products. Google boss Eric Schmidt embarrassingly admits he uses an iPhone, but prefers Samsung over it". While another user's tweet read, "Eric Schmidt comes out of the closet as an iPhone user #iphone6".

short by Dishant Sharma / 10:02 pm on 25 May

read more at Twitter

Samsung to launch 1st nationwide IoT network

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:38 pm on 25 May 2016,Wednesday

Samsung on Wednesday announced its partnership with South Korea-based SK Telecom to deploy what the company claims is the world's first commercial Internet of Things (IoT)-dedicated nationwide LoRaWAN network. LoRaWAN is a wireless telecommunication network designed for long range communications. The service will debut in Daegu next month and will be available nationwide later in the year.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:38 pm on 25 May

read more at TechCrunch

Alphabet's Eric Schmidt admits he uses an iPhone

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:29 pm on 25 May 2016,Wednesday

Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO and Alphabet's Executive Chairman admitted that he uses an Apple iPhone at the Startup Europe Fest in Amsterdam on Tuesday. Schmidt added that he also uses an Android-powered Samsung Galaxy 7 smartphone, adding that it has a better camera and battery. In 2014, Schmidt was spotted using a BlackBerry smartphone.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:29 pm on 25 May

read more at The Guardian

Alibaba faces SEC accounting practices inquiry

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:34 pm on 25 May 2016,Wednesday

Chinese e-commerce giant, Alibaba Group on Wednesday said that it was under investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over its accounting practices and whether they violate the federal laws. Writing in its annual filing with the SEC, the company said that it is cooperating with the probe and providing the required documents and information about its policies.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:34 pm on 25 May

read more at Bloomberg

Opera's shareholders agree $1.24 bn buyout offer

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:03 pm on 25 May 2016,Wednesday

Browser maker Opera's shareholders have approved the $1.24 billion acquisition proposal by a consortium of Chinese companies that includes Qihoo 360 Technology, the buyers said on Wednesday. The offer of $8.51 per share equates to around 10 times the company's estimated core earnings. The bid was accepted by shareholders owning 90.6% of Opera's outstanding capital and 90.9% of the votes.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:03 pm on 25 May

read more at TechCrunch

Xiaomi unveils its first drone starting at $380

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:52 pm on 25 May 2016,Wednesday

Xiaomi on Wednesday unveiled its first ever drone 'Mi Drone' which costs $380 for a 1080 pixel camera and $460 for a 4K version. It comes with a 5,100 mAh battery which allows 27 minutes of flying per session. Designed with China-based Flymi, the drone features a handheld remote which can be attached to a smartphone for livefeed view.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:52 pm on 25 May

read more at TechCrunch

Huawei files patent suits against Samsung

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:35 pm on 25 May 2016,Wednesday

Chinese firm Huawei Technologies on Tuesday sued Samsung in the US and China claiming that the latter infringes 11 smartphone patents covering unlicensed use of 4G cellular communications technology, operating systems and UI software. As per the complaint's public portion, Huawei is seeking cash compensation, however it doesn’t seek any order to block sales of Samsung products in the US.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:35 pm on 25 May

read more at Bloomberg

Samsung India launches iris-recognition tablet

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:34 pm on 25 May 2016,Wednesday

Tech giant Samsung Electronics on Wednesday announced the launch of a new tablet equipped with iris-recognition technology, called Galaxy Tab Iris, in India for the government and enterprises. Priced at ₹13,499, the Android 5.0 powered tablet, that sports a seven-inch display and a 3,600 mAh battery, is compliant with the Aadhaar system and was launched under the Digital India campaign.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:34 pm on 25 May

read more at The Financial Express

Microsoft to cut 1,850 jobs from smartphone unit

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:10 pm on 25 May 2016,Wednesday

After Microsoft announced to sell its feature phone business to Foxconn for $350 million earlier this month, it on Wednesday announced to cut 1,850 jobs from its smartphone business. While up to 1,350 jobs will be cut in Finland, about 500 jobs will be cut globally. The restructuring will cost $950 million to Microsoft, including $200 million for severance payments.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:10 pm on 25 May

read more at TechCrunch

World's first 3D-printed office opens in Dubai

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:45 pm on 25 May 2016,Wednesday

The world's first functional 3D-printed office, a single storey building spread across 2,700 square foot, opened in Dubai this week. The arc-shaped office building used a 20-foot tall 3D printer and a special mixture of cement to be built. Located near the Dubai International Financial Center, the building was completed in 17 days at a cost of about $140,000.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:45 pm on 25 May

read more at YouTube

Indian tablet market grows 1.3% in March quarter

short by Arjun Bhatia / 11:20 am on 25 May 2016,Wednesday

The Indian tablet market grew marginally by 1.3% year-on-year to 8.6 lakh units in the quarter ended March as consumer preference for large-screen smartphones continued to gain traction, according to research firm International Data Corporation. Datawind led the market with a 27.6% share, followed by Samsung (15.2%), Lenovo (13.6 %), Micromax (11.3%), and iBall (8.7%).

short by Arjun Bhatia / 11:20 am on 25 May

read more at The Financial Express

Chinese firm demos elevated bus-transit concept

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:12 am on 25 May 2016,Wednesday

Beijing-based Transit Explore Bus recently showcased an elevated mass-transit concept, 'Straddle Bus', that glides over the traffic and allows cars to pass beneath it. It runs on two-lane wide tracks with a capacity of 1,400 passengers. The invention can be cheaper and quicker to develop than subway, and can help save on fuel consumption and carbon emissions, the company claimed.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:12 am on 25 May

read more at YouTube

Wearable device to monitor body signals created

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:02 am on 25 May 2016,Wednesday

US-based researchers have developed a flexible wearable monitoring system that can scan the biochemical reactions and electrical signals running inside one's body. It records heart signals and tracks levels of chemicals related to physical effort in real time. The device, which can communicate with external devices via Bluetooth, can be used by athletes and physicians among others.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:02 am on 25 May

read more at The Verge

Twitter reacts to Twitter character limit change

short by Dishant Sharma / 09:37 pm on 24 May 2016,Tuesday

Reacting to the change in Twitter's 140-character limit, a user tweeted, "Twitter will survive. Game of Thrones has been working without character limits for years, and people still love it." Another tweet read, "Twitter, finally you've realized how hard it is when you've got so much to say but you've only given us 140 characters".

short by Dishant Sharma / 09:37 pm on 24 May

read more at Twitter

Twitter announces changes in 140-character limit

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:21 pm on 24 May 2016,Tuesday

Twitter on Tuesday announced changes to its 140-character limit and @names in replies and media attachments like photos, GIFs, videos and polls will no longer count as characters within a tweet in the coming months. The micro-blogging site will also let users Retweet their own tweets. Further, new tweets beginning with a username will reach all the followers.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:21 pm on 24 May

read more at TechCrunch

Pepper robot to take orders at Pizza Hut: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:08 pm on 24 May 2016,Tuesday

Pizza Hut Asia and MasterCard are reportedly partnering to bring SoftBank's Pepper humanoid robot to take and process customers' orders by the end of 2016. Pepper will help customers with the menu, personalised recommendations and offers. Further, customers can pay for their pizzas through the MasterPass wallet app or scanning a QR code on the tablet attached to Pepper's chest.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:08 pm on 24 May

read more at The Verge

Hyperloop to use sensor-embedded fiber for pods

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:58 pm on 24 May 2016,Tuesday

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies on Tuesday announced that it will use a new sensor-embedded carbon fiber for its capsules, which are capable of achieving speeds up to 1,223 kmph. The company is calling the material "Vibranium" and claimed that it's "eight times stronger and weighs about five times less than aluminum". Notably, Marvel character Captain America's shield was made of Vibranium.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:58 pm on 24 May

read more at Engadget

Google's Paris headquarters raided in tax probe

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:48 pm on 24 May 2016,Tuesday

French investigators raided Google's Paris headquarters on Tuesday as part of an investigation into tax evasion and money laundering that started in June last year, the financial prosecutor's office said. The internet giant has been accused of owing $1.8 billion in unpaid taxes to the French state. However, Google has not made any comment on the case so far.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:48 pm on 24 May

read more at Reuters

OnePlus to launch new handset in virtual reality

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:34 pm on 24 May 2016,Tuesday

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus on Monday announced to launch its new flagship smartphone 'OnePlus 3' in virtual reality. The launch will take place at The Loop, a virtual space station created by the company. The handset maker is also giving away 30,000 OnePlus Loop VR Headsets for free to people to experience the launch event.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:34 pm on 24 May

read more at Hindustan Times

Team achieves record wireless data transfer rate

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:06 pm on 24 May 2016,Tuesday

Researchers from Germany-based Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics claimed to have set a new world record in wireless data transmission by achieving a data rate of 6 GB per second over 36.7 kilometers. For the system that broke the previous record by a factor of 10, the team used ultra-efficient transmitters and receivers along with special low-noise amplifiers.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:06 pm on 24 May

read more at PTI

Facebook acquires VR audio startup Two Big Ears

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:23 pm on 24 May 2016,Tuesday

Social media giant Facebook on Monday acquired UK-based Virtual Reality audio startup Two Big Ears for an undisclosed amount. The startup's technology has been made free to download as 'Facebook 360 Spatial Workstation'. Founded in 2013 by Varun Nair and Abesh Thakur, the startup specialises in spatial 3D audio in cinematic and gaming experiences.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:23 pm on 24 May

read more at TechCrunch

Apple CEO admits iPhone prices are high in India

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:03 pm on 24 May 2016,Tuesday

Apple CEO Tim Cook admitted that prices for the iPhones in India are high during an interview to NDTV. “The duties and the taxes and the compounding of those takes the price and it makes it very high," said Cook. "Our profitability is less in India, it’s materially less — but still I recognise that prices are high”, he added.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:03 pm on 24 May

read more at TechCrunch

UK startup creates wearable air purifier

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:07 am on 24 May 2016,Tuesday

A UK-based startup has created a $89 pocket-sized wearable air purifier 'Breathe', which claims to eliminate air pollutants and provide clean air around the user within seconds. It can last for over 30 hours in single charge and doesn't require any filter replacement. The purifier also claims to eliminate smoke, odour and has a range of up to 20 metres.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:07 am on 24 May

read more at YouTube

Twitter reacts to Tinder's lawsuit against 3nder

short by Dishant Sharma / 11:04 pm on 23 May 2016,Monday

After dating app Tinder sued 3nder, a dating app for people seeking threesomes, Twitter users reacted with tweets like, "A touching story of tech startup. #TinderSuckMySocks". Another user tweeted, "No one is going to confuse tinder with 3nder. Suing them is ridiculous". "You don't like threesomes? Feel free to avoid them, but suck my socks (they stink)", read another tweet.

short by Dishant Sharma / 11:04 pm on 23 May

read more at Twitter

Edward Snowden calls Google's Allo app dangerous

short by Dishant Sharma / 10:53 pm on 23 May 2016,Monday

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has called Google's upcoming messaging app Allo dangerous and unsafe, on Twitter, suggesting people to avoid it for now. Snowden has criticised the app over the ‘end-to-end’ encryption, which has been disabled by Google by default. However, the end-to-end encryption can be used in the app's Incognito mode.

short by Dishant Sharma / 10:53 pm on 23 May

Alibaba-owned Taobao offered VR date with actors

short by Dishant Sharma / 10:25 pm on 23 May 2016,Monday

Alibaba-owned shopping app Taobao offered users the chance to virtually date Chinese actors on May 20, China's online Valentine's Day. Users with a VR headset were allowed to date either Chinese actor Yang Yang or actress Dilraba on scanning a QR code. Actors interacted with the users over VR by making them breakfast and waking them up among other activities.

short by Dishant Sharma / 10:25 pm on 23 May

read more at Engadget

Tinder sues dating app for threesomes '3nder'

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:22 pm on 23 May 2016,Monday

Dating app Tinder has reportedly sued '3nder', a dating app for people seeking threesomes, over the similarity between the names. Launched in 2014, 3nder is currently available on iOS and plans to launch an Android app this month. In response to Tinder, 3nder has launched a site called 'Tinder Wants to Kill 3nder' and is promoting '#TinderSuckMySocks' on Twitter.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:22 pm on 23 May

read more at The Next Web

Stair-climbing wheelchair iBot relaunched

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:18 pm on 23 May 2016,Monday

Toyota in collaboration with DEKA Research and Development on Sunday launched a new version of its two-wheeled electric wheelchair iBot, which is capable of climbing stairs. The new wheelchair can move across varied terrain including glass, dirt and raise its seat to up to six feet. The wheelchair production ended in 2009 due to its high cost of $25,000.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:18 pm on 23 May

read more at YouTube

Fitbit's heart rate data inaccurate: Study

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:07 pm on 23 May 2016,Monday

According to a study by researchers at California State University, the users' heart rate is measured inaccurately by Fitbit fitness trackers by up to 23 beats per minute. The study included data collected from 43 people during 65-minute exercise sessions. It added that the technology was particularly inaccurate during moderate and high intensity workouts.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:07 pm on 23 May

read more at The Next Web

Xiaomi runs livestream to show Mi Max battery

short by Dishant Sharma / 08:48 pm on 23 May 2016,Monday

Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Xiaomi, is running an online livestream on Chinese video site Bilibili for demonstrating the battery life of its Mi Max phablet, which features a 4,850 mAh battery. The streaming, which went live on May 10, has garnered over 20 million unique views and features a Mi Max, operating in standby mode without running any apps.

short by Dishant Sharma / 08:48 pm on 23 May

read more at Mashable

Durex challenges couples to go tech-free

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:24 pm on 23 May 2016,Monday

Durex recently conducted a social experiment dubbed "#DoNotDisturb" on six couples divided into two groups, couples with technology and couples without technology. The company invited couples on a holiday to observe which of these groups spend a better time together. Notably, in a Durex study on 2,000 adults, 57% respondents wanted their partners to turn their phones off during holidays.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:24 pm on 23 May

read more at YouTube

Snapchat US allows users to buy 'X-Men' tickets

short by Prashanti Moktan / 06:30 pm on 23 May 2016,Monday

Starting on Monday, tickets for the film 'X-Men: Apocalypse' in the US can be purchased on 'Snapchat' add. This makes Twentieth Century Fox the first advertiser on the app to purchase a ticketing ad unit. Snapchat users can swipe up on a '3V' ad, a vertical video which can be viewed by choice to purchase tickets, without leaving the app.

short by Prashanti Moktan / 06:30 pm on 23 May

read more at Mashable

Windows Phone market share sinks below 1%

short by Dishant Sharma / 05:06 pm on 23 May 2016,Monday

According to US-based technology research firm Gartner, Microsoft's Windows Phone market share dropped below 1% in the first quarter of 2016. Around 2.4 million Windows Phones were sold in the quarter, forming around 0.7% of the market share. Windows Phone had a market share of 2.5 percent in the Q1 of 2015.

short by Dishant Sharma / 05:06 pm on 23 May

read more at The Verge

Starbucks mobile payment app to launch in India

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:31 pm on 23 May 2016,Monday

Coffee chain Starbucks will reportedly launch its mobile payment and loyalty app in India this year. Besides allowing users to make payments through the app and adding loyalty points directly to the customers' accounts, the app will also show the nearest store location and menu options. Starbucks entered India in 2012 by forming a joint venture with Tata Global Beverages.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:31 pm on 23 May

read more at Inc42

Omate launches 'SOS smartwatch' for the elderly

short by Dishant Sharma / 11:51 pm on 22 May 2016,Sunday

Chinese smartwatch manufacturer Omate, has launched a new smartwatch for the elderly, called the Wherecom S3. The Android-powered device offers GPS, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, enabling the users to call for help in emergencies. The watch also features a dialler, a pedometer, a one-click location-sending SOS button, 4 GB of internal memory and a 600 mAh battery.

short by Dishant Sharma / 11:51 pm on 22 May

read more at Daily Mail

Microsoft services to block 'terrorist content'

short by Dishant Sharma / 11:41 pm on 22 May 2016,Sunday

As a part of its policy update, Microsoft is prohibiting users from posting content, that incites 'terrorist acts', on its services, including Xbox Live and Outlook. Meanwhile, the company's search engine, Bing, will remove links to websites containing such content only if the authorities demand it. Microsoft has also launched a web page for users to report 'terrorist content'.

short by Dishant Sharma / 11:41 pm on 22 May

read more at Engadget

App shows singers money they make in real time

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:01 pm on 22 May 2016,Sunday

Music publisher Kobalt has launched a new app called 'Kobalt App', which lets songwriters and singers get real time information about the money they're making across all types of incomes. Singers can access data on broadcast, streaming, download and other incomes of their songs individually. Further, the app also lets singers track how their music is being used on YouTube.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:01 pm on 22 May

read more at YouTube

Startup makes portable bottle-shaped microwave

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:02 pm on 22 May 2016,Sunday

UK-based startup Wayv has developed 'Adventurer', a bottle-shaped portable microwave with 900ml capacity priced at $199. It comes with a digital counter display and buttons for various functions. The microwave claims to deliver over 30 minutes of operational time in a single charge. The dishwasher-safe microwave can be charged at home, in the car or through portable solar panels.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:02 pm on 22 May

read more at The Verge

Brazil startup makes face-controlled wheelchair

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:34 pm on 22 May 2016,Sunday

Brazilian startup HOO.BOX has developed 'Wheelie', prototype of a face-controlled wheelchair which operates through facial, head, or iris movements. The wheelchair consists of a 3D RealSense camera that captures nearly 80 expressions from a user's face including smile, eyebrows up, kiss movement, tongue out and others. These expressions are used by the wheelchair to move, turn and stop itself.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:34 pm on 22 May

read more at YouTube

Chewbacca-masked woman sets Facebook Live record

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:56 pm on 22 May 2016,Sunday

Video of Candace Payne, a 37-year-old mother of two from Texas wearing a Star Wars movie character Chewbacca's mask has become the most watched Facebook Live video. The four-minute video shot inside Payne's car is a broadcast from the car parking of the store from where the Chewbacca mask was purchased. It has garnered over 124 million views so far.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:56 pm on 22 May

read more at TechCrunch

Smart device turns any surface to remote control

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:03 am on 22 May 2016,Sunday

A US-based startup has developed 'Knocki', a $129 smart device that can turn any surface into a remote control to operate various devices. The device turns any surface into a touch interface. Connected through an app, it can let users control lights, find phone, adjust room temperature, access television, and brew coffee from bed by knocking on the Knocki-attached surfaces.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:03 am on 22 May

read more at YouTube

5 tech firms hold one-third of the cash in US

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:51 am on 22 May 2016,Sunday

Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Oracle and Cisco had assembled $504 billion between them by the end of 2015, almost one-third of the total $1.7 trillion held on the balance sheets of US non-financial companies. According to the report, released by the rating agency Moody's, Apple topped the list with $216 billion followed by Microsoft at second with $102 billion.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:51 am on 22 May

read more at The Guardian

New AI predicts age by analysing blood sample

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:49 pm on 21 May 2016,Saturday

Researchers at the Insilico Medicine, US, have used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create programmes that can predict a person's age with 84% accuracy by analysing their blood sample. The biotech company created a database of 60,000 blood samples and found the most significant biomarkers to predict the age, such as red blood cell count, glucose levels and protein albumin.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:49 pm on 21 May

read more at Daily Mail

Google, LG build gesture-controlled smartwatch

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:47 pm on 21 May 2016,Saturday

Google's Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) worked with LG to assemble a smartwatch that can understand subtle hand gestures. The watch, which supports touch and speech input, was made using ATAP's Project Soli which Google had unveiled last year. Project Soli is a wearable device that uses gesture radar technology to make the user's hand the main interface.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:47 pm on 21 May

read more at VentureBeat

Bank-linked wristband shocks users who overspend

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:46 pm on 21 May 2016,Saturday

British Fintech company Intelligent Environments has created a banking platform called 'Interact IoT' that links smart devices to a bank account. It has teamed up with Pavlok, a wristband that gives an electric shock to users if their balance goes below a set spending limit. It also issues an alert on the smartphone if a user nears the spending limit.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:46 pm on 21 May

read more at The Guardian

Wristband measures alcohol levels via sweat

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:44 pm on 21 May 2016,Saturday

San Francisco-based electronics company BACtrack, has created a wristband named 'Skyn' which can measure blood alcohol levels in a human body via sweat on the skin. The device has won $200,000 in prize in a United States government competition for alcohol monitoring devices. The app-connected device also vibrates the smartphone to remind users to slow down drinking.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:44 pm on 21 May

read more at Reuters

Dell unveils 43-inch 4K monitor with 4 screens

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:12 pm on 21 May 2016,Saturday

American computer technology company Dell has unveiled Dell P4317Q monitor, a 43-inch 4K display with an option to run as four separate 1080-pixel resolution screens. The monitor, featuring four USB 3.0 ports, one DisplayPort and two HDMI ports, also allows zooming in on any single display out of the four for viewing in 4K resolution.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:12 pm on 21 May

read more at The Verge

360° VR video of 'The Conjuring 2' released

short by Prashanti Moktan / 06:49 pm on 21 May 2016,Saturday

An immersive 360° virtual reality video was released on Friday for the upcoming horror film 'The Conjuring 2'. The video enables viewers to navigate through the haunted house and experience the Enfield Haunting, the incident on which the film is based. Actors Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga will reprise their roles in the film, which will release on June 10.

short by Prashanti Moktan / 06:49 pm on 21 May

read more at YouTube

Tech to share power between devices developed

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:45 pm on 21 May 2016,Saturday

Researchers at the University of Bristol have developed a technology called 'PowerShake', that allows sharing of power between mobile and wearable devices. The device consists of flexible copper coils that allows transferring of power at 3.1W. A three-second charge from the device claims to provide 15 seconds of talk time on a smartphone.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:45 pm on 21 May

read more at YouTube

Google demos modular Android smartphone 'Ara'

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:19 pm on 21 May 2016,Saturday

Google on Friday demonstrated the developer unit of 'Ara', a modular Android smartphone with six interchangeable modules that allows users to add a high-resolution camera, a louder speaker and swap a better battery. The modules can be ejected electronically with a voice command like, “okay Google, eject the camera". Google is planning the commercial release of the smartphone in 2017.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:19 pm on 21 May

read more at YouTube

3D-printed wheelchair with customised seat made

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:07 pm on 21 May 2016,Saturday

Benjamin Hubert, Director of the London-based industrial design agency Layer, has created 'GO wheelchair', a 3D-printed wheelchair with customisable seat to meet the specifications of the user's body. The user's body is scanned and the needs are assessed to 3D-print a seat. Further, the wheelchair comes with special gloves to access its wheels which have “almost BMX bike” grip texture.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:07 pm on 21 May

read more at YouTube

Google's new app turns phone into a research lab

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:50 pm on 21 May 2016,Saturday

Google on Friday launched 'Science Journal', a new app that turns smartphones into a research lab by using sensors to measure and record data in real time, including movement, light and sound. It also graphs the data collected and allows users to compare the results of their experiments. Users can also add notes and photos while recording the data.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:50 pm on 21 May

read more at The Next Web

Google, Levi's develop smart jacket for cyclists

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:10 pm on 21 May 2016,Saturday

Google's Project Jacquard and Levi's have jointly developed 'Commuter', a washable smart jacket that allows cyclists to control their music, answer phone calls and access navigation by tapping and swiping on the sleeve. A smart Jacquard tag is embedded in the jacket’s sleeve which can be pulled out and charged via USB. The jacket will be publicly available in 2017.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:10 pm on 21 May

read more at TechCrunch

Tim Cook meets PM; launches updated Modi app

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 01:45 pm on 21 May 2016,Saturday

Apple CEO Tim Cook on Saturday met PM Narendra Modi and launched an updated version of the Narendra Modi mobile application. Modi tweeted to thank Cook for the meeting and called his views "enriching" while Cook wished Modi all the best for his application. Cook, on his maiden visit to India, earlier met various industrialists and Bollywood actors.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 01:45 pm on 21 May

read more at The Financial Express

MIT, Harvard researchers design bee-like robot

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:25 pm on 21 May 2016,Saturday

Researchers from MIT and Harvard University have designed a bee-like flying robot called RoboBee, which can stop in mid-flight and momentarily cling to surfaces before taking off again. It uses static electricity, emitted through a foam patch on its head, as electrostatic adhesion to stick to surfaces. Perching allows it to conserve energy, thereby increasing the flight time.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:25 pm on 21 May

read more at Engadget

Airbus unveils 3D-printed electric motorcycle

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:22 pm on 20 May 2016,Friday

European aeronautics giant Airbus unveiled the 'Light Rider', a 3D printed electric motorcycle made from tiny aluminum alloy particles, in Germany on Friday. It has a range of 60 kilometers per charge. The motorcycle's frame weighs around three pounds, almost 30% less than conventional e-motorbikes. The company has started taking orders for 50 motorbikes, with a price tag of $56,095.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:22 pm on 20 May

read more at Phys

Samsung partners with Alibaba's Alipay

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:43 pm on 20 May 2016,Friday

Samsung on Friday announced that it has partnered with Ant Financial Services Group, the parent company of Alipay, to expand Samsung Pay in China. Alipay is a third-party online payment platform in China, that was launched by the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group in 2004. This deal will enable the users to register their Alipay accounts into Samsung Pay.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:43 pm on 20 May

read more at TechCrunch

'Houzz' named best app at Google Play Awards

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:39 pm on 20 May 2016,Friday

Google announced the results of the first-ever Google Play Awards on Wednesday, where the interior designing and decorating platform 'Houzz' was named as the overall best Android app of the year. Strategy video game 'Clash Royale' was named the best game while 'NYT VR', the virtual reality app by The New York Times, was named the most innovative app.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:39 pm on 20 May

read more at TechCrunch

IBM to turn Rashtrapati Bhavan into smart town

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:36 pm on 20 May 2016,Friday

President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday inaugurated an Intelligent Operations Centre, developed by the technology giant IBM, which will help in managing Rashtrapati Bhavan's energy, water, waste and security. An application called 'Monitor', developed by IBM, was also launched, enabling over 5,000 people residing in the 330-acre estate to report issues through mobile and the web.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:36 pm on 20 May

read more at Hindustan Times

Chromebooks outsell Macs for 1st time in the US

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:48 pm on 20 May 2016,Friday

For the first time, Google's Chromebook shipments surpassed Apple's Mac laptops in the US in the first quarter of 2016, IDC analyst Linn Huang told The Verge. US Mac shipments was reportedly around 1.76 million in the latest quarter, meaning Dell, HP, and Lenovo sold nearly 2 million Chromebooks combined. K-12 education market accounted for majority of Chromebook shipments.

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:48 pm on 20 May

read more at The Verge

New app that can determine freshness of beer

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:27 pm on 20 May 2016,Friday

Chemists at the Complutense University of Madrid have created a furfural-sensing polymer disk and an app that can determine whether a beer has a fresh or "stale" flavor. Furfural, a chemical related to beer's taste and smell, changes chemically and imparts a stale or cardboard-like flavor as the beer ages, causing the sensors to change its colour.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:27 pm on 20 May

read more at TechCrunch

IMAX, Google partner to develop IMAX VR camera

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:22 pm on 20 May 2016,Friday

IMAX Corporation and Google on Thursday revealed plans to develop the IMAX VR camera, "a cinema-grade Virtual Reality (VR) camera" that will enable film-makers to shoot 360° and 3D content. Furthermore, through an alliance with Sweden-based video game developer 'Starbreeze', IMAX plans to launch VR centers in six locations worldwide, starting with Los Angeles, according to the Wall Street Journal.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:22 pm on 20 May

read more at TechCrunch

New app that can solve handwritten math problems

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:30 pm on 20 May 2016,Friday

A team led by a Stanford University alumnus has developed an iOS app called Mathpix, which the team claims is the first technology that can solve handwritten math problems by pointing the phone's camera at it. The app, which uses image recognition to process the problems, provides a step-by-step guide to reach the solution and also a graph wherever needed.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:30 pm on 20 May

read more at Engadget

Reddit makes its threads embeddable on any site

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:30 pm on 20 May 2016,Friday

Reddit announced on Thursday that it has enabled the embedding of its discussion threads and posts on any website. The functioning of the new feature will be similar to the embedding of tweets and YouTube videos. All threads and discussions on Reddit, that feature texts, videos, pictures and GIFs, will be eligible for embedding.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:30 pm on 20 May

read more at Engadget

Adobe launches apps for visual content creation

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:20 pm on 19 May 2016,Thursday

US-based software company Adobe on Thursday launched Spark, a free three-app suite that enables anyone to create, edit and share visual content, for iOS and the Web. With 'Spark Page', users can create 'magazine style' pages or web stories, while 'Spark Post' will enable creating flyer-like social posts and graphics. 'Spark Video' enables users to create animated videos.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:20 pm on 19 May

read more at TechCrunch

117 million stolen LinkedIn passwords put online

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:55 pm on 19 May 2016,Thursday

A 2012 LinkedIn hack, thought to have exposed 6.5 million passwords, has impacted over 117 million accounts, LinkedIn said on Wednesday. Someone going by the name "Peace" is selling those stolen username-password combos on the dark web for around $2,300, according to the online magazine Motherboard. Linkedin said that it has reset passwords for all accounts believed to be compromised.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:55 pm on 19 May

read more at Engadget

'Soft wearable robot' made to improve mobility

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:57 pm on 19 May 2016,Thursday

Engineers at the Harvard University in collaboration with ReWalk Robotics have developed a lightweight, wearable soft robot to assist people with lower limb disabilities in regaining mobility. The robot uses compact, powerful actuators packaged in a belt to provide physiological assistance to the wearer’s legs. It can be used by stroke, multiple sclerosis and elderly patients to improve mobility.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:57 pm on 19 May

read more at Engadget

Beta app Swiftmoji suggests emojis as users type

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:39 pm on 19 May 2016,Thursday

Microsoft-owned smartphone keyboard app maker SwiftKey has launched 'Swiftmoji', a new app into a private beta test on Google Play that suggests a set of emojis while the user is typing. It also offers word suggestions, auto correction, customisation of the keyboard's size and swiping option for input. However, SwiftKey has not yet made a formal announcement about Swiftmoji’s debut.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:39 pm on 19 May

read more at TechCrunch

Twitter reacts to Google's 'Android N' naming

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:38 pm on 19 May 2016,Thursday

After Google invited people to suggest names for its upcoming Android operating system starting with 'N', Twitter users reacted with tweets like "#Neyyappam for #AndroidN Let mallus rule the world!". "#Nankhtaai for #AndroidN", read another tweet. "#AndroidNarendraModi Make it happen! #AndroidN", read a tweet. "Nutella is the first word that comes to my mind for Android N", tweeted a user.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:38 pm on 19 May

read more at Twitter

Google announces new features for its 'Firebase'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:39 pm on 19 May 2016,Thursday

At the Google I/O conference on Wednesday, the company announced several new features for Firebase – a cloud services provider that offers a dedicated platform and SDK for building mobile apps. Acquired by Google in 2014, Firebase, that supports iOS, Android and Web, will offer an analytics portal, cloud messaging service and realtime database, hosting, authentication and crash reporting services.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:39 pm on 19 May

read more at TechCrunch

Google launches 3rd Android N developer preview

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:03 pm on 19 May 2016,Thursday

Google on Wednesday launched the third developer preview of its upcoming Android operating system called 'Android N'. It features a VR mode that will allow VR apps to use its smooth head-tracking, stereo notifications and low latency graphics. It also introduced a feature for seamless updates, meaning devices running Android N or greater can install system updates in the background.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:03 pm on 19 May

read more at VentureBeat

Google launches smart speaker 'Google Home'

short by Azhar Iqubal / 04:38 pm on 19 May 2016,Thursday

Google announced its entry into the voice-activated home device market on Wednesday with the launch of ‘Google Home’. The Wi-Fi enabled portable speaker, powered by a voice assistance technology, can stream music, answer simple questions and perform some basic tasks. Amazon had launched a similar device named Echo almost two years ago and claims to have sold 3 million units.

short by Azhar Iqubal / 04:38 pm on 19 May

read more at TechCrunch

Google patents tech to curb self-driving mishaps

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:22 pm on 19 May 2016,Thursday

Google has patented an adhesive layer on the front end of its self-driving cars to protect the pedestrians during an accident. The adhesive coating reportedly activates when it comes in contact with a person and aims to reduce the damage caused. Further, a pedestrian may be carried by car until its driver or the car itself reacts to the accident.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:22 pm on 19 May

read more at The Guardian

Google unveils communication apps Allo, Duo

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:04 pm on 19 May 2016,Thursday

Google on Wednesday announced two new communication apps Allo and Duo. Allo is a phone number-based smart messaging app with a 'Smart Reply' feature which learns user's style to suggest replies. Further, Duo is a one-to-one video calling app with a 'Knock Knock' feature which shows the user a live video preview of the caller before picking up the call.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:04 pm on 19 May

read more at Google Blog

Google Instant Apps runs apps without download

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:28 pm on 19 May 2016,Thursday

Google at its I/O developer conference on Wednesday announced 'Instant Apps', a new Android feature that lets users run apps instantly without downloading. It will let users access a specific piece of information on an app by simply tapping on a URL, without installing or logging into it. The new feature will be rolling out to users later this year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:28 pm on 19 May

read more at YouTube

Apple opens Maps development office in Hyderabad

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:55 pm on 19 May 2016,Thursday

Apple on Thursday announced the opening of a new office in Hyderabad that will focus on development of Maps for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. Located in the Waverock campus, the LEED-certified eco-friendly facility will create up to 4,000 jobs. Earlier reports had suggested that Apple spent $25 million to set up the new facility.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:55 pm on 19 May

read more at Apple

Google announces Android Wear 2.0

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:08 am on 19 May 2016,Thursday

Google on Wednesday announced Android Wear 2.0, the next version of its Android OS for smartwatches. It will come with three new messaging features – a full keyboard, handwriting recognition and smart replies. The release will also have the fitness-focused 'activity recognition API', that will identify what the user's body is doing and launch appropriate apps to track their activity.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:08 am on 19 May

read more at Engadget

Tesla Motors to raise $1.7 bn via stock sale

short by Aditya Kashyap / 10:55 am on 19 May 2016,Thursday

Automotive firm Tesla Motors on Wednesday said it will offer up to $1.7 billion in shares to raise funds for financing the early launch of its Model 3 electric sedan. Tesla CEO Elon Musk had earlier said the company would need additional cash after it received 373,000 reservations for the Model 3, delivery of which will start in 2018.

short by Aditya Kashyap / 10:55 am on 19 May

read more at The Financial Express

Google announces Android VR platform 'Daydream'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:55 am on 19 May 2016,Thursday

Google on Wednesday announced a new Virtual Reality (VR) hardware and software platform called the Daydream, built on top of the upcoming Android N. The company said that Daydream-ready phones, along with VR viewers and motion controllers, will be available later in the year. Google also announced eight hardware partners including Samsung, HTC and LG, that will make Daydream-ready phones.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:55 am on 19 May

read more at Engadget

Nokia plans to enter Android smartphone market

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:48 am on 19 May 2016,Thursday

Nokia on Wednesday announced plans to enter the Android smartphone and tablet market. It revealed that HMD Global Oy will acquire the rights to use the 'Nokia' name on its Android smartphones and tablets for the next 10 years. This comes after Microsoft sold Nokia's feature phone business in a group deal that included HMD Global Oy and FIH Mobile.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:48 am on 19 May

read more at Engadget

'Namotel' most trending on Google today

short by Ankur Vyas / 11:54 pm on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

Following the announcement of Namotel's 'Acche Din', claimed to be the world's cheapest smartphone for ₹99, 'Namotel' was the most trending Google search in India on Wednesday. It was most looked up in Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. 'Kim Kardashian', 'Sonu Nigam' and 'Mouni Roy' were some of the other trending searches.

short by Ankur Vyas / 11:54 pm on 18 May

read more at Google

Google unveils Google Assistant

short by Twishy Shahi / 11:31 pm on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

Google on Wednesday unveiled a virtual assistant tool called Google Assistant, an upgraded version of Google Now. Users can ask a question for an answer, and follow up with multiple questions, with Google picking the conversation and returning the right answer. Users can also make queries via chat.

short by Twishy Shahi / 11:31 pm on 18 May

read more at TechCrunch

Oracle gave Amazon 97.5% discount to beat Google

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:25 pm on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

Oracle co-CEO Safra Catz on Tuesday said that in order to compete with Google-owned Android platform the company had offered Java at a 97.5% discount to Amazon for its Kindle Paperwhite. Oracle and Google are currently involved in a $9 billion case where the former has claimed that the other party owes it for using its Java code in Android.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:25 pm on 18 May

read more at TechCrunch

Researchers design modular touchscreen display

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:06 pm on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

A group of researchers from the University of Bristol have created a prototype of a reconfigurable Rubik's cube-like modular touchscreen display, dubbed the Cubimorph. The device features a single display built out of smaller six-sided display cubes which are connected together through turntable-mounted hinges, allowing its users to reposition the cubes to get the required configuration.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:06 pm on 18 May

read more at Engadget

BitTorrent launches live video app for Apple TV

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:05 pm on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

Torrent client provider BitTorrent has launched 'BitTorrent Live', a multichannel video streaming application, for Apple TV that will be made available later in the week. The initial coverage includes five sections namely news, sports, music, technology and youth culture. The service is expected to come to Android, iOS and OS X versions in June.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:05 pm on 18 May

read more at VentureBeat

Britney Spears launches her own mobile game

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:03 pm on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

American singer and actress Britney Spears on Wednesday launched her own mobile game 'American Dream' on both the Android and iOS platforms. Developed by US-based Glu Mobiles, the game lets users live a superstar life by recording singles, customising their looks, releasing albums and performing at venues worldwide. Notably, Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry also have their own mobile games.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:03 pm on 18 May

read more at YouTube

FB patent may replace emojis with user's face

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:23 pm on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

According to a patent filed by Facebook earlier this month, the social networking platform may replace emojis with a user's face through the facial recognition technology. Facebook will reportedly sort through the tagged photos of the users to find faces that best match the emoji for use. For example, a smiling emoji may be replaced with a user's smiling face.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:23 pm on 18 May

read more at The Next Web

Solar-powered stretchable battery developed

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:17 pm on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

US-based scientists have developed a solar-powered and stretchable mesh of power cells that can be stuck to several surfaces. It uses multiple thin lithium-ion battery tiles bonded with a rubbery material and fitted with tiny solar panels. The excessive length of interconnecting wires allows the mesh to stretch in all directions by 30% while still working perfectly, a researcher said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:17 pm on 18 May

read more at Reuters

Anti-drone technology to be used in Euro 2016

short by Dishant Sharma / 05:55 pm on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

Anti-drone technology will be employed in all the match and training grounds for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2016. Additionally, the ten stadiums, set to be used in the tournament, have been declared no-fly zones. The technology, set to be deployed in a sporting event for the first time, will help prevent drone-based chemical and biological attacks.

short by Dishant Sharma / 05:55 pm on 18 May

read more at YouTube

'WakeUp WhatsApp' trending on Twitter today

short by Dishant Sharma / 04:56 pm on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

After users discussed concerns over Whatsapp's security, 'WakeUp WhatsApp' was a top Twitter trend in India on Wednesday. Users reacted to the security flaws by posting tweets like, "Guys WakeUp WhatsApp before its too very late. Now our personal data is at the risk of being used by unknowns", and "Beware of phishing! WakeUp Whatsapp and stay safe".

short by Dishant Sharma / 04:56 pm on 18 May

read more at Twitter

WhatsApp vulnerable to phishing attacks: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:36 pm on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

According to media reports, WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption is vulnerable to hacker attacks as its uses a 1970's system of sending SMS messages to verify users. Researchers at Positive Technology, a computer and network security company, claim they successfully impersonated WhatsApp targets in various tests. Cyber-thieves can also reportedly steal users' chat histories.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:36 pm on 18 May

read more at NextBigWhat

Microsoft sells Nokia's feature phone business

short by Aditya Kashyap / 04:23 pm on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

Tech major Microsoft has announced it has signed a deal to sell Nokia's feature phone business to FIH Mobile, a subsidiary of Taiwan-based Foxconn Technologies, for $350 million. As part of the deal, FIH Mobile will also gain control of a manufacturing plant in Vietnam. Feature phones refer to low-end mobiles that lack advanced functionalities of smartphones.

short by Aditya Kashyap / 04:23 pm on 18 May

read more at Engadget

Smart tampon tells user when its time to change

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:16 pm on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

A startup from the HAX Hardware Accelerator has developed 'my.Flow', a smart tampon that reminds the user when its time to change tampon during menstruation. Connected to a traditional tampon, it consists of a bluetooth sensor on a user's waist, which lights up when its time to change. User is also notified through an app, which also tracks the period.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:16 pm on 18 May

read more at YouTube

Apple announces startup accelerator in Bengaluru

short by Pragya Swastik / 12:53 pm on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

On Apple CEO Tim Cook's maiden visit to India, the company today announced to set up its first iOS app design and development accelerator in Bengaluru in early 2017. The accelerator will support developers to create mobile apps for the iOS platform. Apple experts will lead briefings at the centre and provide one-on-one app reviews for developers every week.

short by Pragya Swastik / 12:53 pm on 18 May

read more at Apple

Google develops gigapixel 'Art Camera'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:36 am on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

Google has developed a new camera, dubbed the "Art Camera", which is a custom-built, robotic camera capable of capturing gigapixel images quickly. The project, which was unveiled by the Google Cultural Institute, lets web users view artworks down to individual brush strokes. To achieve this, the camera, steered by a robotic system, took thousands of high-resolution close-ups of several artworks.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:36 am on 18 May

read more at TechCrunch

New method to generate 'truly' random numbers

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:23 am on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

US-based scientists have developed a new method to generate 'truly' random numbers, a breakthrough that could be used to improve cybersecurity. The method merges two weakly random sequences of numbers, data sampled over time that can exhibit predictable patterns, into one sequence of truly random numbers. An important application for truly random numbers is in generating keys for data encryption.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:23 am on 18 May

read more at The Financial Express

Phone logs can reveal sensitive details: Study

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:35 am on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

Stanford researchers have demonstrated that telephone metadata – information about calls and text messages, including time and length – can reveal sensitive personal information. For this, the team developed a smartphone application that retrieved the phone's metadata, helping the researchers to infer users' sensitive information such as their health details or whether the user owns a gun or not.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:35 am on 18 May

read more at TechCrunch

'Moto G4' among top Google trends today

short by Ankur Vyas / 12:14 am on 18 May 2016,Wednesday

Following the launch Lenovo's Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus Android smartphones as an Amazon India exclusive, 'Moto G4' was the fourth most trending Google search in India on Tuesday. It was most looked up in Goa, Haryana and Puducherry. '12th Result 2016', 'SpiceJet' and 'Emilia Clarke' were some of the other trending searches on Google.

short by Ankur Vyas / 12:14 am on 18 May

read more at Google

MIT researchers 3D-print programmable hair

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:35 pm on 17 May 2016,Tuesday

A team of MIT researchers have developed a way to 3D-print programmable hair called Cilllia. Cilllia can be programmed by specifying certain parameters to provide warmth, adhesion, locomotion and act as a sensor, a researcher said. The team created several toys including finger swipe sensors and a furry bunny fitted with an LED that changed colors when petted.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:35 pm on 17 May

read more at Engadget

IBM demonstrates improved Phase Change Memory

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:36 pm on 17 May 2016,Tuesday

IBM Research scientists have demonstrated reliably storing three bits of data per cell using the Phase Change Memory technology, instead of the usual storage density, that allows cells to be either 'on' or 'off'. The technology will be significantly cheaper than DRAM, which are typically used in personal computers, and will be significantly faster than flash storage, a researcher said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:36 pm on 17 May

read more at Engadget

AI improves Bose-Einstein condensate experiment

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:11 pm on 17 May 2016,Tuesday

Australian researchers have developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) that has performed the experiment to create a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) – 2001 Nobel Prize-winning discovery. A BEC is a state of matter of a dilute gas of photon-like particles cooled to temperatures around –273.15ºC. They found that the condensates can be created faster, under more conditions and in greater quantities.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:11 pm on 17 May

read more at TechCrunch

New mental training app for athletes launched

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:24 pm on 17 May 2016,Tuesday

Former Twitter and Medium executive Jason Stirman recently launched his new app called Lucid, available on the Apple App Store for free. The app offers advice and meditation training from sports coaches who have trained sportspersons like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. For the app, Stirman and his team have raised $1.5 million in seed funding so far.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:24 pm on 17 May

read more at TechCrunch

Motorola launches Moto G4 Plus from ₹13,499

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:23 pm on 17 May 2016,Tuesday

Motorola on Tuesday launched 'Moto G4 Plus' in India starting from ₹13,499. The handset, which runs on Android Marshmallow, features a 5.5-inch 1080p display, a 16-megapixel rear camera and a fingerprint sensor, and offers a Snapdragon 617 processor and a 3,000 mAh battery. The company also announced another variant called Moto G4, details of which will be revealed in June.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:23 pm on 17 May

read more at Engadget

New tech to 3D print metal structures in midair

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:52 pm on 17 May 2016,Tuesday

Researchers at the Wyss Institute of Harvard University have developed a laser-assisted technology that allows metal to be 3D printed in midair. Silver nanoparticle ink is deposited through a nozzle which is instantly heated and solidified by a laser into wires thinner than a human hair. These wires can be used in flexible electronics, sensors and biomedical devices.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:52 pm on 17 May

read more at YouTube

Twitter character limit may exclude photos, link

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:10 pm on 17 May 2016,Tuesday

According to a Bloomberg report, micro-blogging platform Twitter may stop counting photos and links as part of its 140-character limit for tweets in the next two weeks. After automatically being shortened by Twitter, links currently take up 23 characters in a tweet. The company earlier this year considered raising a tweet's limit to 10,000 characters.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:10 pm on 17 May

read more at Bloomberg

DeitY to build first social security platform

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:19 pm on 17 May 2016,Tuesday

The Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) will develop India's first national social security platform. DeitY will use the socio-economic caste census to find the identity of citizens to receive benefits under various schemes. The platform will authenticate beneficiaries through their Aadhaar card and transfer benefits directly to their Jan Dhan accounts.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:19 pm on 17 May

read more at NextBigWhat

Tiger Global cut stakes in Amazon, Apple

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:06 pm on 17 May 2016,Tuesday

According to a regulatory filing on Monday, Tiger Global Management cut stakes in Amazon, Apple and China's second-biggest online retailer Jingdong Mall (JD) as on March 31, 2016. While it axed stake in Amazon by about two-thirds to $619 million, it reduced its Apple holding by almost half to $617 million. Stake in Jingdong was reduced by about a quarter.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:06 pm on 17 May

read more at Bloomberg

US startup makes language-translation earpieces

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:05 am on 17 May 2016,Tuesday

New York-based startup Waverly Labs has developed 'Pilot', a $129 set of smart earpieces that translate between different languages. Connected through an app, the earpieces need to be worn by two people who don’t speak the same language. It currently translates between English, Spanish, French, Italian and plans to include East Asian, Hindi, Semitic, Arabic, Slavic and African languages.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:05 am on 17 May

read more at YouTube

Google launches group sharing app Spaces

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:39 pm on 16 May 2016,Monday

Google on Monday launched Spaces, a group sharing app with inbuilt Google Search, YouTube and Chrome to let users share articles, videos and images without leaving it. Users can create different groups for topics and invite others via messaging, email or a social network. Available on Android and iOS, Spaces will compete with the likes of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:39 pm on 16 May

read more at Google Blog

Museum runs campaign to rebuild robot from 1928

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:15 pm on 16 May 2016,Monday

London's Science Museum has started a campaign on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to rebuild 'Eric', the United Kingdom's first humanoid robot. Built in 1928 by British duo Captain William H Richards and Alan Reffell, the walking and talking robot travelled the globe before it disappeared in the 1930s. The robot was made mostly from aluminium and weighed 45 kilograms.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:15 pm on 16 May

read more at YouTube

Stanford researchers develop home urine test

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:47 pm on 16 May 2016,Monday

Researchers at the Stanford University have developed a device that uses a black box and a smartphone camera to test urine at home. The one-time assembling black box integrates a standard medical paper dipstick that collects urine and changes colour to detect a medical condition. The dipstick can help find evidences of kidney disease, diabetes, urinary infections and bladder cancer.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:47 pm on 16 May

read more at YouTube

Berkshire Hathaway has over $1 bn stake in Apple

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:45 pm on 16 May 2016,Monday

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway holding company on Monday disclosed in a regulatory filing that it owns around 9.81 million shares of Apple worth around $1.07 billion as on March 31, 2016. The company's shares rose 2% in pre-market trading immediately following the report. Notably, Apple shares had slid to 52-week lows in the recent weeks.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:45 pm on 16 May

read more at TechCrunch

Game demo allows users to click photos in VR

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:15 pm on 16 May 2016,Monday

Chicago-based game developer Robomoto has developed a VR photography demo for the HTC Vive headset that lets users click photographs in VR. Titled ‘VR Photography Experience’, it lets users raise their cameras in VR and click zoomed-in action photos from any position and angle they want. Notably, the VR environment goes from 3D to 2D when the camera is raised.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:15 pm on 16 May

read more at TechCrunch

Line forays into delivery on-demand services

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:35 pm on 16 May 2016,Monday

Instant messaging app Line has begun offering delivery on-demand services in Thailand. Under the pilot move, users can avail courier, food and grocery delivery services via the new ‘Line Man’ app. The service is powered by Lalamove, a logistics startup that will provide motorbike delivery staff wearing green jackets clad with Line’s cartoonish emoji characters.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:35 pm on 16 May

read more at TechCrunch

Socket texts user when electricity goes out

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:08 pm on 16 May 2016,Monday

A Finnish electronics company has made 'iSocket 3G', a $199 power socket that texts the user when the electricity goes out. The device includes a small battery backup, a cellular radio and a SIM card to text the user about the power outage. An additional $9 temperature sensor can be added to the socket to get text alerts on temperature.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:08 pm on 16 May

read more at The Verge

Amazon may expand its new private-label goods

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:58 pm on 16 May 2016,Monday

According to media reports, e-commerce platform Amazon is set to launch its new private-label brands in the coming weeks. The offerings, under brand names like Happy Belly, Wickedly Prime and Mama Bear, will consist of goods including baby food, tea, coffee, spices, and non-perishables like laundry detergent. The service will only be available for members of Amazon Prime, the reports added.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:58 pm on 16 May

read more at TechCrunch

FB, Twitter face hate speech complains in France

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:48 pm on 16 May 2016,Monday

Three French anti-racism associations on Sunday announced to file lawsuits against Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for failing to remove “hateful” content from their platforms. Out of the 586 examples of hateful content counted between March end and May 10, Twitter removed 4%, YouTube 7% and Facebook 34%, the associations added. Notably, French law requires websites to take down such content.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:48 pm on 16 May

read more at VentureBeat

Apple removes security app from its App Store

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:36 pm on 16 May 2016,Monday

Apple has removed an app titled System and Security Info, from its App Store that informed users if their phone software was authentic and if their phones have been jailbroken without consent. Apple told developer Stefan Esser that the app provided “potentially inaccurate and misleading diagnostic functionality for iOS devices.” In response, Esser termed the app removal as “selective punishment”.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:36 pm on 16 May

read more at The Next Web

Google may face record $3.4 bn EU antitrust fine

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:35 pm on 16 May 2016,Monday

Google may reportedly face a $3.4 billion fine from the European Union in a 2010 case for promoting its shopping service in internet searches at the expense of rivals. This will be the biggest anti-trust fine to date, surpassing a 1.1 billion-euro fine imposed on Intel. Google may reportedly be banned from continuing to manipulate search results to favour itself.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:35 pm on 16 May

read more at Reuters

Nintendo to expand into film business, says CEO

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:16 pm on 16 May 2016,Monday

Nintendo CEO Tatsumi Kimishima has said that the video game company will release feature-length films in the near future. Nintendo will work on hand-drawn or 3D animated films, and seek partnerships with film companies for worldwide distribution, Kimishima added. The company also confirmed that it will launch a new gaming console, codenamed the NX, next March.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:16 pm on 16 May

read more at The Next Web

Stanford students build wall-gripping drone

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:03 am on 16 May 2016,Monday

US-based Stanford University students have built a drone that can grip itself to rough surfaces, vertical walls and ceilings. The drone has micro-spines that use opposed-grip strategy to keep itself perched to the surface. After leaving the surface, the drone regains its usual flying pattern. Students claim that it can be used for earthquake rescue and environment monitoring in forests.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:03 am on 16 May

read more at YouTube

Post Offices get geo-tagged on ISRO's geo-portal

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 09:37 pm on 15 May 2016,Sunday

India Post has geo-tagged more than 1.5 lakh post offices on a geo-portal Bhuvan developed by Indian Space Research Organisation, a government official said on Sunday. Geo-tagging will help people to find the nearest post office, their services and timings, the official added. A mobile application is also being used to monitor the timely clearance of letter boxes.

short by Shubhodeep Datta / 09:37 pm on 15 May

read more at The Financial Express

MIT shows prototype of high-speed Hyperloop pod

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:18 pm on 15 May 2016,Sunday

A 30-member team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Saturday unveiled the prototype of a high-speed Hyperloop pod meant to carry passengers through vacuum tubes at 1280km/h. The pod, currently a third of the size of the actual pod, is propelled by magnets that will levitate it off tracks. However, the pod's current version can reach 402km/h.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:18 pm on 15 May

read more at YouTube

Windows 10 phones to get fingerprint scanners

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:45 pm on 15 May 2016,Sunday

Microsoft has announced to add support for fingerprint authentication in its Windows 10 Mobile update this summer. Until now, the company only supported alternative log-in options of facial and iris recognition. So far, the only known Windows 10 phone that is supposed to include a fingerprint sensor is the upcoming HP Elite X3, which can double as a psuedo-laptop and a desktop.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:45 pm on 15 May

read more at The Next Web

NGO accuses Amazon of selling animal specimens

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:05 pm on 15 May 2016,Sunday

Delhi-based NGO Wildlife SOS, along with Union Minister Maneka Gandhi, has urged online retailer Amazon to take down protected wild and aquatic animal specimens and hunting equipment from its ‘sale' list. The NGO alleges that Amazon features snares, traps and specimens like alligators, snakes, bats, spiders, ladybugs, scorpions, frogs, octopus, and shark teeth under its ‘Toys and Games’ section.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:05 pm on 15 May

read more at The Financial Express

Online soccer game fights gender-based violence

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:59 pm on 15 May 2016,Sunday

Mahmoud Jabari, creator of the online soccer game 'Breakaway', recently delivered a TED Talk on how his game teaches boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 15 to fight gender-based violence. The game asks players to make positive or negative choices around sexist behaviours via a series of soccer and cultural challenges. Their choices decide their game score.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:59 pm on 15 May

read more at TechCrunch

Google turning data center walls into art murals

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:47 pm on 15 May 2016,Sunday

Under its Data Center Mural Project, Google has invited artists to turn the walls of its data center facilities into art murals. The project, already executed in Oklahoma and Belgium, is aimed at making Google's data centers more interesting to look at. The company plans to next expand the project to data center buildings in Dublin and Council Buffs, Iowa.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:47 pm on 15 May

read more at The Financial Express

Facebook Messenger blocked in Saudi Arabia

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:46 pm on 15 May 2016,Sunday

Saudi Arabia has blocked Facebook’s Messenger service in the country to reportedly protect the revenues of traditional telecom companies. However, an official said, “The service had been banned because it failed to comply with regulations”. Internet calling over WhatsApp and Viber were already blocked in Saudi Arabia but similar apps including Tango and Line are still available in the country.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:46 pm on 15 May

read more at The Financial Express

Mitsubishi develops world's fastest elevator

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:38 pm on 15 May 2016,Sunday

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has developed what it claims is the fastest elevator in the world, having achieved a top-speed of 1,230 meters per minute or 20.5 meters per second. It will be installed at the 632-meter Shanghai Tower, China's tallest building. The company claimed that the elevator can travel from the second-level basement to the 119th floor in 53 seconds.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:38 pm on 15 May

read more at Mashable

Smart doorbell bug shows video from other houses

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:50 pm on 15 May 2016,Sunday

Some users of the smart doorbell 'Ring Doorbell Pro' recently complained of a bug that shows them video of visitors at other houses equipped with the same device. The smart doorbell shows the video of visitors at the door on the users' smartphone. The bug was fixed by the doorbell-making company assuring that it would not repeat in the future.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:50 pm on 15 May

read more at The Verge

Apple cuts app review time to two days: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:01 pm on 15 May 2016,Sunday

Apple has reportedly cut down the time taken to review an app before it comes to App Store to less than two days. According to user-submitted data analyser App Review Times, the average approval time fell to 1.95 days to from 8.8 days in the last two weeks. The move is said to help Apple increase its revenue from apps.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:01 pm on 15 May

read more at The Next Web

Data shows how much publications pay freelancers

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:37 pm on 15 May 2016,Sunday

Who Pays Writers, a crowdsourced open data platform, has revealed how much print and web publications pay to their freelance writers. Launched in 2012, it lets writers report and search payment rates by various publications including per word rate, flat rate fee along with a small description of their writing piece. It also lets writers rate their experience through emojis.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:37 pm on 15 May

read more at The Next Web

Tech predicts machine failure by cloning parts

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:11 pm on 15 May 2016,Sunday

Sentient Science, a NASA spinoff, has developed a software tool that predicts machine failures by 'cloning' their parts. Called DigitalClone, it uses an understanding of the physics of a given part, such as friction and wear, to determine when it is likely to break. This enables replacement of parts before machines like helicopters and telescopes break down, thus extending their lifespan.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:11 pm on 15 May

read more at Engadget

3D printed glasses help blind read printed text

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:09 pm on 15 May 2016,Sunday

A Poland-based non-profit organisation has developed 'Parsee' a pair of 3D printed glasses that recognise text on objects and translates them to the user through an earphone. With an inbuilt camera, the glasses can recognise text, shapes, colours and faces through a dedicated mobile application and turn them into sounds. The battery-run glasses can be recharged through micro USB.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:09 pm on 15 May

read more at YouTube

ISRO to launch indigenous space shuttle: Reports

short by Nihal Thondepu / 02:21 pm on 15 May 2016,Sunday

According to reports, the Indian Space Research Organisation will launch a space shuttle that is completely made in India for the first time before the onset of monsoon this year. The indigenously made Reusable Launch Vehicle - Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) will be launched from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The reusable technology can reportedly help reduce launch costs by ten times.

short by Nihal Thondepu / 02:21 pm on 15 May

read more at ANI

New York-based law firm hires 1st ever AI lawyer

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:33 am on 15 May 2016,Sunday

New York-based law firm BakerHostetler recently hired ROSS, 'the world's first artificially intelligent lawyer', which is powered by Watson, an IBM-developed AI system capable of processing natural language. After being asked a question, ROSS reads through the law and gathers evidence to give relevant and evidence-based answers. It also monitors the law for changes that can affect a certain case.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:33 am on 15 May

read more at Daily Mail

Smart paper controlled by gestures developed

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:08 am on 15 May 2016,Sunday

Researchers from the University of Washington have developed a battery-free wireless smart paper that senses seven gestures including touching, sliding and hand waving to perform various actions. Ultra-thin Radio Frequency Identification labels make normal paper in books, documents, paper planes and origami interactive. These labels cost about 10 cents each and can be stuck onto any paper.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:08 am on 15 May

read more at YouTube

Wearable device allows typing by tapping fingers

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:11 pm on 14 May 2016,Saturday

Israeli startup Tap Systems has developed 'Tap Strap', a foam strap that lets users type by tapping fingers. Controlled through an app, the bluetooth-connected strap translates 31 different kinds of finger tapping into various text inputs and claims 99% accuracy. While each finger is considered as a vowel, and combinations of fingers make up the other letters and symbols.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:11 pm on 14 May

read more at The Verge

Samsung launches 256 GB microSD card at ₹16,740

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:47 pm on 14 May 2016,Saturday

Samsung has launched a 256 GB microSD card 'EVO Plus' priced around ₹16,740. It claims to store up to 12 hours of 4K UHD video recording or 33 hours of full HD video playback. The card also claims reading and writing speeds of 95 MB/s and 90 MB/s, respectively. It will be available in over 50 countries from June 2016.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:47 pm on 14 May

read more at Samsung

Google to pay $20/hour to test self-driving cars

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:11 pm on 14 May 2016,Saturday

Google has announced to pay $20/hour to drivers in Arizona for testing its self-driving cars and providing a written and oral feedback to the engineering team. Drivers will need to work under 12-24 month contracts and drive the vehicles from six to eight hours per day. Notably, Google in April had announced to expand its self-driving car program to Arizona.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:11 pm on 14 May

read more at The Verge

Samsung files patent for virtual watch displays

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:56 pm on 14 May 2016,Saturday

Samsung has filed a patent for technology that projects a virtual user interface of a smartwatch display onto the wearer’s hand. The laser interface would project touch-sensitive “buttons” onto the hand, forearm or length of the arm for users to interact with larger, less-cumbersome screens. According to the patent, the feature isn’t limited to smartwatches and can also be used for VR/AR headsets.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:56 pm on 14 May

read more at The Next Web

New Chrome experiment converts images into music

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:27 pm on 14 May 2016,Saturday

PixelSynth, a new Chrome Experiment written in Javascript, allows users to turn images into music. Users can choose from a library of pre-selected images or upload their own to start the experiment. They can also adjust the brightness, contrast, scale, key and speed to modify the music. Launched in 2009, Chrome Experiment is an online repository of several browser-based experiments.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:27 pm on 14 May

read more at The Next Web

Twitter bug lets verified accounts verify others

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:54 pm on 14 May 2016,Saturday

A bug on Twitter for iOS allows verified accounts to verify other users by simply retweeting their tweets. However, this glitch is only visible to verified users and unverified users won’t be able to see blue ticks appear by their usernames. The bug was first reported by Tom Warren, senior editor at American technology news website The Verge.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:54 pm on 14 May

read more at The Next Web

Scientists release data from 70k dating profiles

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:12 pm on 14 May 2016,Saturday

Danish researchers have collected data from 70,000 profiles of online dating website OkCupid and released them on the internet. While the data used no real names, it mentioned usernames, locations and answers to personal questions like political leanings. The profiles were technically already public, however according to OkCupid, collecting data without consent violates the website’s legal policy.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:12 pm on 14 May

read more at Engadget

iTunes bug deleting users' music libraries

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:46 pm on 14 May 2016,Saturday

Apple has confirmed in a statement that an "extremely small" number of customers were having their music libraries disappear without their permission due to a bug in iTunes. This came after a designer named James Pinkstone blogged about his 122 GB of music files getting deleted. Apple said it will release an iTunes patch next week to fix the issue.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:46 pm on 14 May

read more at Engadget

Samsung launches Charm fitness band

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:19 pm on 14 May 2016,Saturday

Samsung on Friday launched its Charm fitness band that tracks steps taken, distances travelled and calories burnt. The bracelet-style band also inform users of incoming calls, texts, and social media messages using colour-coded LED notifications. Featuring a 17 mAh battery, the device is currently available in South Korea, Italy, France, and Russia in Gold, Black, and Rose Quartz colour variants.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:19 pm on 14 May

read more at Samsung

Tinder user in US kidnapped, beaten by a match

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:08 pm on 14 May 2016,Saturday

A 20-year-old female student from the University of Kansas, US, was kidnapped, beaten and held against her will for six days in April by a 32-year-old man she met through the dating app Tinder. The man, Shane Steven Allen, is currently in police custody under a $100,000 bond. If convicted, Allen could serve a 32-year prison sentence.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:08 pm on 14 May

read more at Engadget

Google for Work head Amit Singh moves to VR unit

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:21 pm on 14 May 2016,Saturday

Amit Singh, the head of Google’s enterprise business 'Google for Work' on Friday announced that he has taken on a new position inside the company’s recently created virtual reality (VR) division. He said on Twitter, “Thrilled to be joining Google VR team to lead biz and ops.” Singh had left Oracle to join Google in 2010.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:21 pm on 14 May

read more at VentureBeat

Jack Ma, others' private data leaked on Twitter

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:17 pm on 14 May 2016,Saturday

Personal data like national identification numbers, addresses, educational attainment and marital status of China's elite including Alibaba Founder Jack Ma was leaked on Twitter on Thursday for a few hours. The data was posted by account '@shenfenzheng', which means 'personal identification' in Chinese. While the account was suspended, a cached version of the webpage reportedly continues to exist.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:17 pm on 14 May

read more at The Verge

Ultra-thin lense turns smartphone to microscope

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:49 pm on 14 May 2016,Saturday

Italian startup Smart Micro-Optics has developed 'Blips', a $23 portable set of ultra-thin adhesive micro and macro lenses, which turns any smartphone or tablet into a microscope. While the micro lense provides high resolution micro images up to 4 microns, the macro lense provides 10 times optical magnification. Microscopic images are visible through a dedicated Android or iOS app.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:49 pm on 14 May

read more at Kickstarter

Bangladesh Bank heist linked to Sony's 2014 hack

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:36 pm on 13 May 2016,Friday

Investigators probing the Bangladesh Bank heist of $81 million said on Friday that the cyber attack was similar to the attack on Sony's film studio in 2014. Further, investigators have reportedly uncovered a similar malware attack on a Vietnamese commercial bank. They said, "What initially looked to be an isolated incident...turned out to be part of a wider campaign".

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:36 pm on 13 May

read more at Reuters

WhatsApp Web adds support for document sharing

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:19 pm on 13 May 2016,Friday

WhatsApp has updated its app on the web to allow users to share documents through the platform. Until now, WhatsApp Web allowed users to only share photos and videos saved on the system or use the webcam to click a new one. The new document sharing feature is already available on WhatsApp’s Android and iOS versions.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:19 pm on 13 May

read more at India Today

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:01 pm on 13 May 2016,Friday

Responding to claims that trending topics on Facebook suppress stories with conservative viewpoints, CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Friday said that the company is “conducting a full investigation” of the matter. He said, “We…do not permit the prioritization of one viewpoint over another or...suppression of political perspectives.” He added that no evidence of the reports being true has been found yet.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:01 pm on 13 May

read more at Facebook

Alibaba, SoftBank form cloud-computing venture

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:57 pm on 13 May 2016,Friday

Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba has partnered Japanese telecom giant SoftBank to form a new cloud-computing joint venture, named SB Cloud Corporation or "SB Cloud", in Japan. The new venture, which will be 60% owned by SoftBank and the remaining by Alibaba, will open a data center in Japan and deliver Alibaba Cloud services and technology to SoftBank's corporate customers.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:57 pm on 13 May

read more at VentureBeat

Editors can tweak FB's trending topics: Report

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:26 pm on 13 May 2016,Friday

According to internal documents leaked to ‘The Guardian’, trending topics on Facebook are determined by editors, not algorithms. The document states that editors can manually inject topics into Facebook’s trending bar to either replace another topic or to add a new one. This comes after Facebook was accused of suppressing stories with conservative viewpoints in its 'trending topics' section.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:26 pm on 13 May

read more at The Next Web

B'luru residents can complain via WhatsApp

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:10 pm on 13 May 2016,Friday

Residents of Bengaluru can now connect with senior police officials through WhatsApp regarding any complaint they have. The city’s 10 Deputy Commissioners have been provided with numbers that can only be used for WhatsApp messages, and not SMS or calls. Through this, the DCPs can be in direct touch with the citizens and consequently send personnel to attend to them.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:10 pm on 13 May

read more at NextBigWhat

Hyundai unveils wearable robot

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:03 pm on 13 May 2016,Friday

Hyundai on Friday unveiled a wearable robot that can enhance the physical strength of the controller and lift objects weighing over 60 kilograms. Users can wear the robot, reportedly similar to the Iron Man suit, by buckling into it. Hyundai said the robot is being developed for commercial purposes and will be applied in areas including military and production lines.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:03 pm on 13 May

read more at Business Today

Researchers make ingestible robot from pig parts

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:20 pm on 13 May 2016,Friday

A team of researchers from MIT and elsewhere has developed an ingestible robot made of dried up pig intestines. The origami robot can unfold itself from a swallowed capsule to execute tasks like removing batteries from stomachs, patching up wounds and delivering medicines at designated locations. According to MIT, 3,500 swallowed watch batteries are reported in the US every year.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:20 pm on 13 May

read more at TechCrunch

Apple invests $1 bn in China's largest taxi app

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:34 pm on 13 May 2016,Friday

Apple on Friday announced that it has invested $1 billion in China's largest taxi-hailing app Didi Chuxing (formerly known as Didi Kuaidi). Didi Chuxing said that this is its single largest round of funding so far. The company’s other major investors include Tencent, Alibaba and SoftBank. Apple CEO Tim Cook said the investment will help Apple and Didi Chuxing collaborate in future.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:34 pm on 13 May

read more at TechCrunch

US startup unveils self-driving truck concept

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:30 am on 13 May 2016,Friday

Nikola, an Utah-based startup in the US has unveiled 'Nikola One', a self-driving six-wheeled electric truck concept that claims to run for 1,280-1,930 kilometres on a single charge. It has a 2000 hp battery powered by natural gas. The truck also has a touchscreen cockpit, fridge, Wi-Fi and claims to pull a convoy of five driverless trucks behind it.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:30 am on 13 May

read more at Engadget

'Le 1s Eco' 2nd most trending on Google today

short by Ankur Vyas / 11:45 pm on 12 May 2016,Thursday

Following the flash sale of Chinese technology company LeEco's Le 1s Eco Android smartphone on Flipkart, 'Le 1s Eco' was the second most trending Google search in India on Thursday. It was most looked up in Pondicherry, Jharkhand and Haryana. 'MPBSE', 'CLAT 2016' and 'Nurses day' were some of the other trending searches.

short by Ankur Vyas / 11:45 pm on 12 May

read more at Google

MCC launches first Official Laws of Cricket app

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:12 pm on 12 May 2016,Thursday

London-based Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has launched the first 'Official Laws of Cricket' mobile application for free on Android and iOS. It explains all 42 laws of the game categorised into eight sections. There are 15 animations available, all voiced by English writer and actor Stephen Fry. The app also offers a quiz to test the user's acquired knowledge.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:12 pm on 12 May

read more at YouTube

Hyperloop achieves 187 km/h in 1.1s during test

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:16 pm on 12 May 2016,Thursday

Hyperloop One on Thursday successfully conducted the first public test of its high-speed transport system which achieved 187km/h speed in 1.1 seconds in Nevada, US. Brainchild of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the system will help people travel in pods running through a vacuum tube. It claims to cover a 616-kilometre distance between San Francisco and Los Angeles in 30 minutes.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:16 pm on 12 May

read more at YouTube

Pebble launches smartwatches starting at ₹5,999

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:28 pm on 12 May 2016,Thursday

Pebble today launched its range of smartwatches in India, starting from ₹5,999 for its Classic model equipped with an e-ink display. Other models including Pebble Time, Pebble Time Round, and Pebble Time Steel priced at ₹9,999, ₹13,599, and ₹15,999 respectively, have also come to India. The smartwatches, designed to auto-detect users' runs and walks, are exclusively available on Amazon.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:28 pm on 12 May

read more at The Next Web

Opera launches power-saving mode for computers

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:18 pm on 12 May 2016,Thursday

Opera web browser today launched a developer version of its power-saving mode for Windows and OS X computers. It claims to extend the battery life of the laptops by up to 50% compared to Google Chrome, depending upon their hardware. The mode can be activated by clicking a 'battery icon' on the search and address field of the browser.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:18 pm on 12 May

read more at TechCrunch

Startup makes backpack with inbuilt e-skateboard

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:24 am on 12 May 2016,Thursday

A US-based startup has created 'Movpak', a $1,200 backpack with an inbuilt remote-controlled electric skateboard that goes up to 20 mph. The backpack gets fully charged in two hours and allows 10 miles of skateboarding per charge. The skateboard, with tracking capability for security, comes with front lights for visibility in the night and supports Siri and Google Now.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:24 am on 12 May

read more at YouTube

'Meizu m3 Note' trending on Google today

short by Ankur Vyas / 12:06 am on 12 May 2016,Thursday

Following the launch of Meizu m3 Note Android smartphone in India at ₹9,999, 'Meizu m3 note' was the eighth most trending Google search in India on Wednesday. It was most looked up in Odisha, Jharkhand and Rajasthan. 'Manchester United', 'Modi Compares Kerala To Somalia' and 'Sbi Admit Card 2016' were some of the other trending searches.

short by Ankur Vyas / 12:06 am on 12 May

read more at Google

Google Translate enables translations in any app

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:27 pm on 11 May 2016,Wednesday

Google on Wednesday rolled out an update for its Google Translate service on Android, with a feature called 'Tap to Translate', that lets users get an instant language translation of the selected text in any application. In addition, the company also rolled out offline support on iOS for Google Translate, a feature which was released on Android in 2013.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:27 pm on 11 May

read more at VentureBeat

Samsung creates smart surfboard with LED display

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:49 pm on 11 May 2016,Wednesday

Samsung Brasil has developed 'Galaxy Surfboard', a smart surfboard with LED display to display wave conditions and social media notifications to the rider in the sea. The surfboard also has a dedicated waterproof slot on one of its sides to place a user's smartphone. Samsung has also released a video featuring World Surf League champion Gabriel Medina riding the surfboard.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:49 pm on 11 May

read more at YouTube

Instagram debuts new logo, redesigns app

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:19 pm on 11 May 2016,Wednesday

Facebook-owned photo-sharing app Instagram on Wednesday debuted its new colourful rainbow-themed logos for its main and other in-house apps including Hyperlapse, Boomerang and Layout. The app has also changed its appearance to a white top bar and black icons in place of blue. Notably, this is the first logo redesign since Instagram first emerged five years ago.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:19 pm on 11 May

read more at The Next Web

Apple patents iPad cover with flexible display

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:21 pm on 11 May 2016,Wednesday

Apple on Tuesday received a patent for a flexible display spread across the folding panels of an iPad cover. The panels will display various notifications or reminders and let users play, pause, fast forward, rewind media through a touch-sensitive area. It would also let users input handwritten notes and drawings to the tablet through a stylus.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:21 pm on 11 May

read more at The Verge

WhatsApp launches desktop app for Mac, Windows

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:23 pm on 11 May 2016,Wednesday

WhatsApp on Tuesday launched a desktop app for Windows 8 and above and Mac OS 10.9 and above operating systems. The app mirrors conversations and messages from users' mobile device to their systems with desktop notifications and keyboard shortcuts. The app is available for download at WhatsApp's website by scanning a QR code.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:23 pm on 11 May

read more at Twitter

Supercomputer won 1st chess tournament 19yrs ago

short by Chhavi Tyagi / 12:56 pm on 11 May 2016,Wednesday

A supercomputer 'Deep Blue' defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov for the first time in a tournament by 3.5-2.5 score on May 11, 1997. Deep Blue was an IBM computer capable of evaluating 200 million moves per second. Kasparov, who had previously defeated the computer, accused IBM of cheating and demanded a rematch. IBM refused and retired Deep Blue.

short by Chhavi Tyagi / 12:56 pm on 11 May

read more at The Financial Express

Xiaomi unveils 6.44-inch Mi Max smartphone

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:06 pm on 10 May 2016,Tuesday

Xiaomi on Tuesday unveiled its biggest smartphone Mi Max with a 6.44-inch display and 4,850 mAh battery in China, priced at around ₹15,330. Available in three storage options starting from 32 GB, the dual-sim phone has a 16 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera and a fingerprint sensor. The Marshmallow-based smartphone is available in Silver, Grey and Gold colours.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:06 pm on 10 May

Drug-sniffing device for cars developed

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:47 pm on 10 May 2016,Tuesday

Guido Verbeck, a chemistry professor from Texas has developed a prototype of a drug-sniffing device compatible with cars. It claims to identify small amounts of illegal substances within minutes in the air from a quarter mile away. It also claims to locate the source of the drugs with 4% error.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:47 pm on 10 May

read more at Engadget

Light-emitting solar-powered cement developed

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:59 pm on 10 May 2016,Tuesday

Scientists from a Mexican university have developed a cement that illuminates roads through solar power. The cement, capable of lasting for a hundred years, currently exists in blue and green colours and the light intensity can be regulated. The cement claims to emit light for around 12 hours in the night from the solar energy absorbed during the day.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:59 pm on 10 May

read more at Hindustan Times

Smart apparel directs cyclists to destination

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:24 pm on 10 May 2016,Tuesday

A Los Angeles-based startup has developed 'Lumenus', a $250 smart apparel that gives users directions through LEDs on entering their destination on a dedicated app. The apparel also integrates washable colour-changing LEDs which provides safety to the cyclists by increasing their visibility to other riders on the road. The LEDs claim to last up to 24 hours in single charge.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:24 pm on 10 May

read more at TechCrunch

Google launches free WiFi at 5 railway stations

short by Arjun Bhatia / 10:05 am on 10 May 2016,Tuesday

Google on Monday announced the launch of its free public WiFi service at Patna, Ujjain, Guwahati, Allahabad, and Jaipur railway stations. The service is now available in 15 stations across India. This is part of Google’s collaborative project with the Indian Railways to provide high-speed public WiFi at 100 railway stations across the country by 2016-end.

short by Arjun Bhatia / 10:05 am on 10 May

read more at The Financial Express

Government launches solid waste management app

short by Arjun Bhatia / 08:57 am on 10 May 2016,Tuesday

The Environment Ministry on Monday launched a web-based application, Integrated Waste Management System (IWMS), to help in tracking the movement and management of solid waste. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the app would help in monitoring 43,000 industrial units responsible for producing hazardous waste, while also providing state and nation-wise data on waste generation.

short by Arjun Bhatia / 08:57 am on 10 May

read more at The Financial Express

Siri creators demo new virtual assistant, Viv

short by Amritanshu Anand / 07:43 am on 10 May 2016,Tuesday

Siri creator Dag Kittlaus gave the first public demo of Viv, an AI virtual system at TechCrunch Disrupt in New York. Viv works on “dynamic program generation,” which allows the AI-powered assistant to understand intent and generate a code to best answer the query. The company has raised $12.5 million and has been working on the product for four years.

short by Amritanshu Anand / 07:43 am on 10 May

read more at TechCrunch

NASA makes 56 patents free for commercial use

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:24 pm on 09 May 2016,Monday

NASA on Monday made 56 of its formerly-patented technologies including advanced manufacturing processes, sensors, propulsion methods, rocket nozzles, aircraft wing designs and improved rocket safety, freely available for commercial use. It also released a searchable database of its expired patents. NASA said it is encouraging entrepreneurs to explore new ways to commercialise these technologies.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:24 pm on 09 May

read more at The Financial Express

Facebook wins trademark case in China

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:54 pm on 09 May 2016,Monday

Facebook on Monday won a trademark case against a local beverage maker in China which registered "face book" as a separate trademark to sell foods and beverages in 2011. A Beijing court ruled that the trademark was company's obvious act of copying and harms fair market competition. Notably, Facebook is currently barred from operating in China.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:54 pm on 09 May

read more at Reuters

Twitter denies analytics to US govt agencies

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:53 pm on 09 May 2016,Monday

Twitter has reportedly blocked US intelligence agencies' access to Dataminr, a company which provides analytics and identifies patterns across every tweet published. It analyses tweets to signal about terror attacks, political unrest and other events. Notably, data requests to Twitter from US government increased by 65% in the last six months of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:53 pm on 09 May

read more at The Next Web

Samsung launches Galaxy J5, J7 in India

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:55 pm on 09 May 2016,Monday

Samsung on Monday launched its Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 smartphones in India, priced at ₹13,990 and ₹15,990 respectively. While Galaxy J5 has a 5.2-inch display, Galaxy J7 comes with a 5.5-inch display screen. The dual-sim Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based smartphones have 13 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera. The smartphones are exclusively available on Flipkart starting May 10.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:55 pm on 09 May

read more at YouTube

App turns items in food menu to photos

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:25 pm on 09 May 2016,Monday

Engineers from MasterCard have created 'MenuMe', an app that recognises the text in a menu and translates it into an image of the food item. By pointing a phone at the restaurant’s menu, the app's image recognition functionality displays the food items in 3D through augmented reality. Developers said that the app will help travellers visiting a foreign country.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:25 pm on 09 May

read more at YouTube

Video explains India's NAVIC project in 90 secs

short by Aman Raj / 02:24 pm on 09 May 2016,Monday

Office Chai in partnership with Inshorts, has released a 90-second video explaining India's recently launched NAVIC project. The video illustrates the nomenclature of the NAVIC project and explains how better location data will impact India's fishermen, armed forces, and emergency response systems. With this launch, India joined an elite league of nations to have developed their own GPS system.

short by Aman Raj / 02:24 pm on 09 May

read more at YouTube

Microsoft showcases 'pre-touch sensing' tech

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:21 am on 09 May 2016,Monday

Microsoft Research has released a video demonstrating a technology called "pre-touch sensing" which can recognize user's grip around the phone and their hovering fingers immediately above it. This would allow the phone to anticipate users' interactions based on the number of fingers involved, their orientation and how far they are from the screen.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:21 am on 09 May

read more at Engadget

New needleless blood glucose monitoring device

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:27 am on 09 May 2016,Monday

Researchers from the Cardiff University have developed a needleless glucose monitor that doesn't require the users to prick their finger to keep track of their blood glucose levels. Instead, it uses microwaves to gather the data and then sends that data to an accompanying app. The device features an adhesive which lets its users stick it on their arm.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:27 am on 09 May

read more at Engadget

Researchers develop holographic flexible display

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:18 am on 09 May 2016,Monday

Researchers from Queen's University have developed what they claim is the "world's first holographic flexible smartphone" display, dubbed HoloFlex. The display features a flexible 1,920x1,080 HD OLED screen fitted with tiny lenses that lets multiple people simultaneously view in 3D without any external aids. The result was a 160x104 resolution display that allows 3D viewing from nearly any angle.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:18 am on 09 May

read more at Engadget

Researchers create color-changing threads

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:41 am on 09 May 2016,Monday

Researchers from the University of California in Berkeley have created a new type of thread that can change its color when a voltage is applied across it. The technology, called Ebb, is being developed as part of Project Jacquard, one of Google's spin-off ventures which is aimed at studying the potential of making clothes interactive and touch-sensitive.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:41 am on 09 May

read more at Engadget

Robot to compete with Chinese students in exam

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:39 am on 08 May 2016,Sunday

A Chinese robot is set to compete with grade 12 students during the China’s national college entrance examination next year and get a qualifying score to enter universities. Designed to solve problems with artificial intelligence, the electronic examination paper will be loaded into the robot's program. The robot will finish the exams during designated periods like the other examinees.

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:39 am on 08 May

read more at Livemint

Google blocks Pirate Bay in Chrome, Firefox

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:46 pm on 07 May 2016,Saturday

As part of Google's 'Safe Browsing' campaign, the company has started blocking torrent website 'The Pirate Bay' and marked it as "deceptive" on Chrome and Firefox web browsers. However, users can get around this message by clicking 'visit this unsafe site' in Chrome or 'Ignore this warning' in Firefox. Google has already been flagging sites with deceptive advertisements as unsafe.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:46 pm on 07 May

read more at VentureBeat

Nagaland police bags Smart Policing Award

short by Ankur Vyas / 09:12 pm on 07 May 2016,Saturday

Nagaland police has been awarded the National Award for Smart Policing instituted by FICCI for its SMS-based Vehicle Monitoring System. It bagged the award for the Best Practice in the category of Road Safety and Traffic Management. It is a platform for policemen and citizens to report vehicle theft and alert various field formations of police by sending one SMS.

short by Ankur Vyas / 09:12 pm on 07 May

read more at PTI

App lets users get money back after price drop

short by Twishy Shahi / 08:16 pm on 07 May 2016,Saturday

US-based app Earny helps users get their money back on online purchases after prices drop. It connects with the email and Amazon accounts to track online purchases and checks the prices to see if a user got the best deal. If it finds a lower price, Earny requests a refund and the difference gets credited to the user's card.

short by Twishy Shahi / 08:16 pm on 07 May

read more at TechCrunch

Concept smartwatch with two displays developed

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:00 pm on 07 May 2016,Saturday

A collaboration between researchers from the University of Calgary, Dartmouth College and the University of Waterloo has led to the development of a working prototype of a smartwatch, named Doppio, featuring two touchscreen displays. One of the two displays can be completely detached from the wrist-bound screen and can be rearranged into multiple configurations as per the requirement.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:00 pm on 07 May

read more at The Verge

Apple lets users make custom Mother's Day video

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:59 pm on 07 May 2016,Saturday

After the launch of 'Shot on iPhone' Mother's Day ad, Apple has created a website that allows users to create their own Mother's Day video and upload it on Facebook. Users can upload images of their mom, which becomes the last one in the video and the rest of images are the same as featured in the ad.

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:59 pm on 07 May

read more at The Next Web

2,000 LED-lit pigeons light up New York skyline

short by Prashanti Moktan / 05:32 pm on 07 May 2016,Saturday

Two thousand pigeons with LED lights strapped to their legs lit up the New York skyline when released by artist Duke Riley at the Brooklyn Navy Yard as part of his 'Fly by Night' project. The project pays homage to the practice of pigeon keeping. Further, the show will be repeated every weekend evening from May 7 through June 12.

short by Prashanti Moktan / 05:32 pm on 07 May

read more at YouTube

Lenovo launches $500 million startup fund

short by Amritanshu Anand / 04:02 pm on 07 May 2016,Saturday

Chinese technology giant Lenovo on Friday launched a $500 million fund to invest in startups. Lenovo will be investing in companies in the cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, robots and other Internet services spaces. Lenovo had created a $100 million fund in 2010 and has already invested in more than 40 companies globally.

short by Amritanshu Anand / 04:02 pm on 07 May

read more at TechCrunch

Scientists launch tools to analyze online trends

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:33 am on 07 May 2016,Saturday

Indiana University scientists have released a set of free web-based tools called the Observatory on Social Media (OSoMe), that lets users analyze online trends, memes and other online viral activity. The team behind OSoMe had also launched another tool called BotOrNot in 2014, which predicts the likelihood of a Twitter account being operated by a "social bot" or a human.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:33 am on 07 May

read more at YouTube

SpaceX successfully lands another rocket at sea

short by Twishy Shahi / 04:33 pm on 06 May 2016,Friday

Elon Musk-owned SpaceX successfully landed its Falcon 9 rocket on a drone ship at sea after launching it into space early Friday morning. It's the third time the company has recovered the vehicle post-launch, and the second time the rocket has landed on the ship. Musk tweeted, "Rocket reentry is a lot faster and hotter than last time..."

short by Twishy Shahi / 04:33 pm on 06 May

read more at TechCrunch

Google partners Idea for direct carrier billing

short by Arjun Bhatia / 02:18 pm on 06 May 2016,Friday

Google on Thursday entered into a partnership with telecommunications major Idea Cellular to offer direct carrier billing in India. Idea users would now be able to make purchases on Google Play Store directly through their postpaid and prepaid accounts. Costs for the same will be charged through monthly bills and phone balance respectively.

short by Arjun Bhatia / 02:18 pm on 06 May

GoPro releases footage of a rocket launch

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:36 am on 06 May 2016,Friday

American camera manufacturer GoPro has released the footage of a suborbital rocket launch that saw a 20-foot tall SpaceLoft-10 rocket carry two cameras to 396,405 feet. The launch was carried out in November last year from Spaceport America in New Mexico. With the launch, an 11-pound capsule was launched into space to test its stability upon re-entry into earth's atmosphere.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:36 am on 06 May

read more at The Next Web

Windows 10 upgrade will cost $119 from July 30

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:54 pm on 05 May 2016,Thursday

Microsoft on Thursday announced that Windows 10 upgrade will cost $119 starting from July 30. The company initially released Windows 10 as a free upgrade for Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 devices on July 29th last year. The technology giant also announced that Windows 10 operating system is now running on 300 million active devices around the world.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:54 pm on 05 May

read more at The Verge

Coder busted for copying from Stack Overflow

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:01 pm on 05 May 2016,Thursday

A developer working on automobile manufacturer Nissan's 'NissanConnect EV' mobile application was recently busted for copying code from a question-and-answer site called Stack Overflow. One of the copied lines of the code showed up in the most recent app update under the section for granting location services privilege, stating, "The spirit of stack overflow is coders helping coders".

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:01 pm on 05 May

read more at The Verge

Bitcoin creator won't give proof, says I'm sorry

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:52 pm on 05 May 2016,Thursday

Craig Wright, who claimed to be the founder of Bitcoin, has announced that he will not publish any proof of being the Bitcoin creator. "As the events of this week unfolded and I prepared to publish the proof of access to the earliest keys, I broke...," he said. After facing criticism, Wright promised to offer “extraordinary proof” of his claims.

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:52 pm on 05 May

read more at VentureBeat

IBM starts free quantum computing cloud service

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:30 pm on 05 May 2016,Thursday

IBM has opened up access to a five-qubit quantum computing processor located in New York through a new free cloud service. Qubits are the fundamental unit of quantum computing which, unlike bits in classical computing, can be zero or one or both. The system would let users run algorithms, experiments and simulations, and even work with individual qubits.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:30 pm on 05 May

read more at VentureBeat

Oculus hires Fitbit's Hans Hartmann as new COO

short by Amritanshu Anand / 06:04 pm on 05 May 2016,Thursday

Facebook-owned VR company Oculus has hired Fitbit's Chief Operating Officer (COO) Hans Hartmann as the company's new COO. According to a tweet from Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe, Hartmann, who was with Fitbit since 2011, will be replacing founding COO Laird Malamed. Laird be taking on a new executive role in the company.

short by Amritanshu Anand / 06:04 pm on 05 May

read more at TechCrunch

Alibaba profit rises 85% to $810 million

short by Aditya Kashyap / 05:51 pm on 05 May 2016,Thursday

China-based e-commerce firm Alibaba Group on Thursday reported an 85% year-on-year surge in net profit for the quarter ended March to 5.3 billion yuan (around $810 million). Revenue for the quarter rose 39% to 24.2 billion yuan ($3.7 billion). Better revenues from the company's mobile advertisements helped the rise as it deepened its push into rural domestic regions, analysts said.

short by Aditya Kashyap / 05:51 pm on 05 May

read more at Bloomberg

Robot surgeon outperforms human doctors

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:13 pm on 05 May 2016,Thursday

A robotic surgical system known as The Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR) outperformed humans and robot-assisted human operators in a soft-tissue procedure on Wednesday. The robot used advanced computer vision tech that worked with fluorescent markers and 3D cameras to get a detailed view of the surgical site. The robot was reportedly superior to humans on a number of metrics.

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:13 pm on 05 May

read more at TechCrunch

Man sets World record by spending 25 hours in VR

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:05 pm on 05 May 2016,Thursday

American filmmaker Derek Westerman has set a new Guinness World Record by spending 25 hours in Virtual Reality (VR). He used a VR painting app called 'Tilt Brush' for the entire duration while wearing an HTC Vive headset. The record was achieved on 7th April, however, the footage of the event was released on Wednesday.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:05 pm on 05 May

read more at The Next Web

Mobile data usage doubled from FY14 to FY16

short by Rakesh Reddy / 01:41 pm on 05 May 2016,Thursday

As per data from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), mobile internet data usage in India more than doubled from 2013-14 to 2015-16. Data usage rose to 13.84 lakh Tera Bytes in 2015-16 (till February 2016) from 5.87 lakh TB in 2013-14. Further, in 2015-16, the proportion of data usage by private operators was 93.8%, compared to 6.2% by public operators.

short by Rakesh Reddy / 01:41 pm on 05 May

read more at The Verge

Millions of email accounts hacked in data breach

short by Mirza Mohammed / 10:02 pm on 04 May 2016,Wednesday

According to information security firm Hold Security, millions of hacked usernames and passwords for email accounts and other websites are being traded in Russia's criminal underworld. Nearly 57 million Mail.ru (Russian email service) accounts are said to have been compromised, in addition to several other Yahoo and Google accounts, and a hacker was offering this data for less than $1.

short by Mirza Mohammed / 10:02 pm on 04 May

read more at Reuters

LeEco launches ‘Supertainment’ package in india

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:58 pm on 04 May 2016,Wednesday

China-based LeEco has launched a ‘Supertainment’ package for its smartphones in India featuring content, storage, live TV and other services like music, movies and sports. It has partnered with various content providers for the service, which is priced at ₹490 per month. The company also launched Le 1s Eco smartphone at ₹10,899, which comes with a free one-year Supertainment subscription.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:58 pm on 04 May

Google Maps adds indoor view of Olympic venues

short by Amritanshu Anand / 08:42 pm on 04 May 2016,Wednesday

Google Maps has added indoor view of 25 indoor venues and enhanced view of 12 outdoor venues for this year Olympic games. The view will show locations for restrooms, concession stands, info desks and ATMs for these venues. Google has also added real-time transit information for Rio de Janeiro where the Olympic games will be organised.

short by Amritanshu Anand / 08:42 pm on 04 May

read more at Engadget

LG develops screen-embedded fingerprint scanner

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:29 pm on 04 May 2016,Wednesday

LG Innotek, a subsidiary of South Korean electronics company LG Electronics, has developed a fingerprint scanner embedded in a screen which can help eliminate the need of a dedicated button for biometric verification on devices. The company claimed that the technology has an accuracy of 99.998% and can prove helpful in improving the waterproof capabilities of a device.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:29 pm on 04 May

read more at Engadget

Google to partner Fiat Chrysler for self-driving

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:58 pm on 04 May 2016,Wednesday

Google and Fiat Chrysler have agreed to work together to build a fleet of 100 self-driving minivans. Engineers from the two companies will work together to fit Google's autonomous driving technology into Fiat's Pacifica. The deal marks the first time that Google has worked directly with an automaker to integrate its self-driving system into a passenger vehicle, the companies said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:58 pm on 04 May

read more at Reuters

China allows company to use 'IPHONE' brand name

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:21 pm on 04 May 2016,Wednesday

Apple has lost a trademark suit against Beijing's Xintong Tiandi Technology, which sells leather goods like handbags and phone cases with the brand name “IPHONE”. Xintong Tiandi registered the “IPHONE” trademark in 2007, about five years after Apple registered it. However, Apple reportedly failed to prove that it had high visibility in China before Xintong Tiandi entered the market.

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:21 pm on 04 May

read more at The Verge

FB rewards 10-yr-old with $10k for Instagram bug

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:18 pm on 04 May 2016,Wednesday

Jani, a 10-year old boy from Helsinki, has received $10,000 from Facebook for identifying a security bug in Facebook-owned Instagram. Jani discovered a flaw that allowed him to delete any written content on the social media platform by altering the code. This makes him the youngest person to be paid through Facebook’s bug bounty program, till date.

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:18 pm on 04 May

read more at VentureBeat

Anne Frank story to be made into VR film

short by Prashanti Moktan / 06:44 pm on 04 May 2016,Wednesday

Teen writer and Holocaust victim Anne Frank's story will be made into a virtual reality film. Producer Jonah Hirsch and filmmaker Danny Abrahms wanted to "create a VR experience that connected viewers with arguably the most significant event in human history" using Frank's story. Notably, Frank recorded her experience of Nazi persecution during the World War II in a diary.

short by Prashanti Moktan / 06:44 pm on 04 May

read more at The Guardian

Superhero costume designer makes suit for SpaceX

short by Amritanshu Anand / 06:40 pm on 04 May 2016,Wednesday

Superhero costume designer Jose Fernandez, who created superhero costumes in Batman v Superman and Captain America: Civil War has crafted a spacesuit for SpaceX. Jose had earlier stated in an interview that SpaceX's Elon Musk wanted the design to be 'stylish' and 'heroic'. The suit is expected to release in 2017.

short by Amritanshu Anand / 06:40 pm on 04 May

read more at Engadget

Govt rejects Apple's plan to sell used iPhones

short by Twishy Shahi / 11:41 am on 04 May 2016,Wednesday

The Indian government has reportedly rejected Apple's request to import and sell refurbished iPhones in India. According to Bloomberg, Apple faced opposition from rivals arguing that such a move would trigger a flood of used electronics while defeating the government’s Make-in-India program to encourage local manufacturing. A previous application by Apple was also rejected by the Ministry.

short by Twishy Shahi / 11:41 am on 04 May

read more at Business Today

Security flaws revealed in Samsung's SmartThings

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:45 am on 04 May 2016,Wednesday

American researchers have revealed multiple security flaws in Samsung's SmartThings system which could allow launching attacks like setting off alarms, unlocking doors and setting access codes. They found that 40% of SmartThings third-party apps can gain access to more operations on a device than actually needed. SmartThings is a platform that offers a range of smart devices for smart homes.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:45 am on 04 May

read more at Daily Mail

BMW develops smart emergency tech for motorbikes

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:57 pm on 03 May 2016,Tuesday

BMW has introduced what it claims to be the first smart emergency technology for motorbikes, called Intelligent Emergency Call. IEC's acceleration and lean angle sensors can detect a bike crash, and automatically call for help. Further, it times the call based on the severity of the accident, and sends the bike’s location as well in case of a serious accident.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:57 pm on 03 May

read more at Engadget

Micromax launches Canvas Mega 2 phone for ₹7,999

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:28 pm on 03 May 2016,Tuesday

Micromax on Tuesday launched its Canvas Mega 2 phablet in India for ₹7,999. The 4G-enabled phone features a 6-inch display, 8 MP/5 MP cameras, 1 GB of RAM, a 3,000 mAh battery, Android Lollipop 5.0 OS and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor. Notably, Micromax claims to have a market share of over 15% in the phablet segment.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:28 pm on 03 May

read more at India Today

'The Rock' launches alarm clock app

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:24 pm on 03 May 2016,Tuesday

Wrestler and Hollywood star Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has launched The Rock Clock, an alarm clock app for Android and iOS. Users can enter a personal goal, set the alarm and wake up with a new message from The Rock. It doesn’t have a snooze button and stores 25 custom alarm tones created by The Rock.

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:24 pm on 03 May

read more at The Verge

Google buys training service startup Synergyse

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:08 pm on 03 May 2016,Tuesday

Google on Monday acquired Synergyse, a Toronto-based startup founded by Indian-origin ex-Googler Varun Malhotra, that offers training services for Google Apps. Google will make Synergyse’s training services available for free to all customer of Google Apps, a product suite that includes Gmail, Calendar, Drive and Docs. Google added it will integrate Synergyse into Google Apps "later this year".

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:08 pm on 03 May

read more at TechCrunch

Dell-EMC merger to be called Dell Technologies

short by Aditya Kashyap / 03:16 pm on 03 May 2016,Tuesday

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dell, Michael Dell, on Monday announced that the tech firm's $70 billion merger with data storage company EMC will be called Dell Technologies. The acquisition by Dell, which was announced last year, is the largest till date in the tech industry. The combined enterprise business, though, will go by the name Dell-EMC, he added.

short by Aditya Kashyap / 03:16 pm on 03 May

read more at Business Today

Brazil judge orders blocking WhatsApp for 72 hrs

short by Nihal Thondepu / 01:04 pm on 03 May 2016,Tuesday

A Brazilian judge on Monday ordered network operators in the country to block Whatsapp messaging service for 72 hours. However, the Sergipe state court did not reveal the reason for the order. This reportedly affects around 100 million users across the country. This is the second time in five months that a Brazilian court order blocked Whatsapp in the country.

short by Nihal Thondepu / 01:04 pm on 03 May

read more at Reuters

20 LED drones perform in front of Mount Fuji

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:20 pm on 02 May 2016,Monday

Japan-based company MicroAd has produced a choreographed drone performance, titled Sky Magic, set against the backdrop of Mount Fuji. The audio-visual performance used a fleet of 20 remote-controlled drones, equipped with 16,500 LED lights, to create several aerial formations including lanterns and fireflies. The performance was accompanied by traditional Japanese Shamisen music.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:20 pm on 02 May

read more at YouTube

LeEco Le 1s tops online phone sales in Feb: IDC

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:07 pm on 02 May 2016,Monday

According to a report by research firm IDC, Chinese company LeEco’s Le 1s was the top online selling smartphone in February between the price range of ₹10,000 and ₹15,000. The smartphone, priced at ₹10,999, was among 243 other contenders and defeated devices like Samsung’s Galaxy J5 and Xiaomi’s Redmi 2. Notably, LeEco is planning to open manufacturing facilities in India.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:07 pm on 02 May

read more at India Today

India third largest e-learning market: Coursera

short by Chhavi Tyagi / 08:45 pm on 02 May 2016,Monday

According to online learning site Coursera, with 1.3 million registered learners, India is the third largest e-learning market globally after the US and China. It also revealed that Bengaluru has the maximum e-learners in India. While most active online learners in India were young professionals in their 20s and 30s, male learners constituted 76% and female learners formed 24%.

short by Chhavi Tyagi / 08:45 pm on 02 May

read more at PTI

Model 3 to feature ludicrous mode: Elon Musk

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:57 pm on 02 May 2016,Monday

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has tweeted that the latest Model 3 car will feature the ‘ludicrous mode’, that lets vehicles go from zero to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds. Earlier, it was announced that the car will be able to do so in less than six seconds. It is available in Model S and Model X cars as an upgrade.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:57 pm on 02 May

read more at VentureBeat

Aussie Craig Wright confirms he created Bitcoin

short by Nihal Thondepu / 04:42 pm on 02 May 2016,Monday

Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright has reportedly confirmed that he created digital payment system bitcoins and provided technical proof for his claims. The creator of bitcoin had earlier developed it under the pseudonym 'Satoshi Nakamoto'. Bitcoin is a virtual currency system in which users exchange bitcoins for transactions and 'mine' bitcoins by sharing their computing power.

short by Nihal Thondepu / 04:42 pm on 02 May

read more at Reuters

HC asks if privacy covers right to be forgotten

short by Nihal Thondepu / 01:58 pm on 02 May 2016,Monday

The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre and Google if the right to privacy includes the right to delink irrelevant information from the internet. This comes after a petitioner sought permission to allow 'delinking' his name from a criminal case involving his wife. He claimed not doing so would affect his employment opportunities as companies perform internet background checks.

short by Nihal Thondepu / 01:58 pm on 02 May

read more at India Today

LA judge orders woman to unlock her phone

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:24 am on 02 May 2016,Monday

A federal judge signed a warrant ordering a woman, Paytsar Bkhchadzhyan, to unlock her fingerprint-locked phone, as reported by The Los Angeles Times. She was convicted for identity theft and was taken into custody. Referring to the case, a US-based law professor said that compelling a person in custody to perform such action breached the 5th Amendment's protection against self-incrimination.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:24 am on 02 May

read more at The Verge

Apple files patent for autocorrect-based system

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:23 am on 02 May 2016,Monday

Apple has filed a patent for a system that would highlight the autocorrected terms in a text for both the sender and the receiver. The patent covers several ways to draw the user's attention to an autocorrected word such as a change in font colour and font size. However, the receiver won't be able to see the original words.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:23 am on 02 May

read more at Daily Mail

Modi launches solar-powered e-boats in Varanasi

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:04 pm on 01 May 2016,Sunday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched solar-powered e-boats at the Assi Ghat in Varanasi. The initiative is aimed at reducing pollution and keeping the Ganga river clean. Modi, who also rode the e-boat, said, “With e-boats, the boatmen will be able to save ₹500 a day without spending on diesel.” Earlier in the day, Modi also distributed 1,000 e-rickshaws in Varanasi.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:04 pm on 01 May

read more at The Financial Express

Bing lets users search the web via images on iOS

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:32 pm on 01 May 2016,Sunday

Microsoft has updated it Bing search engine app for iOS to allow users to search the web using images. For this, users can take a new photo within the app itself or choose an existing image from their devices. Users can also crop the selected photo to only get search results similar to a specific part of the photo.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:32 pm on 01 May

read more at VentureBeat

Google did not try to buy us: Telegram founder

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:15 pm on 01 May 2016,Sunday

Pavel Durov, cloud-based instant messaging service Telegram's founder, dismissed media reports that said Google tried to acquire Telegram for $1 billion. According to the reports, Google CEO Sundar Pichai made an offer to buy Telegram last year, which Durov rejected. Calling the rumors "bullshit", Durov said, “I haven’t had any acquisition talks or meetings with Google…all of that is false.”

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:15 pm on 01 May

read more at TechCrunch

Microsoft disables Google search via Cortana

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:21 pm on 01 May 2016,Sunday

Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 users will no longer be able to use its digital assistant Cortana to perform a Google search. Cortana will now only be allowed to launch the Edge browser and the Bing search engine, both Microsoft-owned services. Microsoft said using a third-party search engine on Windows 10 results in a “compromised experience that is less reliable and predictable."

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:21 pm on 01 May

read more at Engadget

Microsoft revamps its Clip Art service

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:31 pm on 01 May 2016,Sunday

Microsoft, in partnership with Swedish image bank Pickit, has revamped its Clip Art service to provide Windows 10 and Office users with legally-cleared, high-quality images. The crowd-sourced images will be uploaded by individual photographers and stock image banks, who will receive 60% of the revenues made. The service was earlier killed off in 2014.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:31 pm on 01 May

read more at The Next Web

App helps premature babies hear their mothers

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:41 pm on 01 May 2016,Sunday

Samsung has introduced Voices of Life, an app that aims at connecting mothers to their premature babies. It transmits a mother's voice and heartbeat to her baby inside an incubator. These maternal sounds reportedly enable premature babies to develop a healthy brain. Further, the captured sounds are ‘wombified’, a process which removes high frequencies not present in the womb.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:41 pm on 01 May

read more at Engadget

Firefox support to end for OS X 10.6, 10.7, 10.8

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:46 pm on 01 May 2016,Sunday

Mozilla has announced to end Firefox support for OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, OS X 10.7 Lion and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion in August 2016. Mac users with these operating systems will stop receiving Firefox updates and security patches after August. Mozilla noted that “all three of these versions are no longer supported by Apple” and suggested users to upgrade their computers.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:46 pm on 01 May

read more at VentureBeat

Samsung introduces app for bedtime stories in VR

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:30 pm on 01 May 2016,Sunday

Samsung has introduced Bedtime VR Stories, an app that allows parents to read bedtime stories to their children remotely in virtual reality. The parent puts on Samsung's Gear VR headset and the child wears a Google Cardboard headset to enter the same 360° story-telling environment and interact with each other. The prototype app is currently being tested in the UK.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:30 pm on 01 May

read more at Mashable

Man installs Windows 95 on Apple Watch

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:01 am on 01 May 2016,Sunday

Nick Lee of US-based Tendigi Insights has installed Windows 95 operating system on his Apple Watch. He ran the installed system on a 520 Mhz processor, offering 8 GB of storage and 512 MB of RAM. After booting it up, which takes around an hour, the system can be controlled through a cursor with dozens of tiny finger movements.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:01 am on 01 May

read more at TechCrunch

Google files patent for injectable smart device

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:50 pm on 30 Apr 2016,Saturday

Google has filed a patent for a device called 'Intra-ocular device', which can be injected into a human eye to correct poor vision. The device, which is meant to replace the human eye's natural lens, will contain its own storage, an electronic lens, sensors, a battery and radio components meant for communicating with separate, external devices.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:50 pm on 30 Apr

read more at Engadget

Speaker developed using recycled furniture wood

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:05 pm on 30 Apr 2016,Saturday

Taiwan-based Minfort has developed MIN7, a speaker made entirely using recycled hardwood from old furniture. The $799 speaker features two four-inch woofers, a 5.25-inch subwoofer, two dome tweeters and two amplifier chips that power the 150 watt system. It also sports multiple inputs, a pair of gold-plated RCA cables and wireless connectivity through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:05 pm on 30 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Dead Apple worker identified, committed suicide

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:02 pm on 30 Apr 2016,Saturday

The Apple employee recently found dead at the company's headquarters in Cupertino committed suicide, medical examiners said. He has been identified as Edward Mackowiak, and according to a now-deleted LinkedIn page, the 25-year-old was a software engineer. An Apple spokesperson said, “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of a young and talented coworker”.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:02 pm on 30 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Sony files patent for contact lens with camera

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:01 pm on 30 Apr 2016,Saturday

Sony has filed a patent application for a contact lens with a built-in camera to take photos and videos. The lens will feature storage capacity, a transmission unit, autofocus, zoom, aperture control and image stabilisation. According to the patent, users will be able to operate the camera by consciously blinking their eyes.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:01 pm on 30 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Xiaomi launches smartwatch for kids at ₹3,067

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:37 pm on 30 Apr 2016,Saturday

Xiaomi has launched a smartwatch for kids, called Mi Bunny, for ₹3,067 (299 yuan). The watch has the ability to make and receive calls and can alert parents when their kids step out of the virtual fence they have set up. It also features an SOS button that reportedly sends a child’s current location data to their parents' phones in seconds.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:37 pm on 30 Apr

Snapchat to stream videos from 2016 Rio Olympics

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:30 pm on 30 Apr 2016,Saturday

Snapchat has partnered with US television network NBC to stream highlights from the 2016 Olympic Games to take place in August in Rio De Janeiro. This is the first time NBC has agreed to share content of the Olympics anywhere outside its own platforms. Snapchat will also show off-the-field interactions and behind-the-scenes content on its platform curated by media company BuzzFeed.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:30 pm on 30 Apr

read more at Bloomberg

Twitter kills bot that recommended viral tweets

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:02 pm on 30 Apr 2016,Saturday

Twitter has shut down Magic Recs, a bot account that recommended viral accounts and tweets to users via Direct Messages. The account, launched in 2013, was run by an algorithm that measured how many people one knew were following an account or tweet in quick succession. Twitter said that recommendations previously shared via Magic Recs are now delivered via push notifications.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:02 pm on 30 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Never pluralise Apple product names: Apple SVP

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:21 pm on 30 Apr 2016,Saturday

Apple’s marketing chief Philip Schiller on Friday took to Twitter to explain how one should correctly refer to multiple Apple devices. He said, “One need never pluralise Apple product names. It would be proper to say "I have 3 Macintosh" or "I have 3 Macintosh computers"." This came after Benedict Evans referred to two iPad Pro tablets as “iPads Pro”.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:21 pm on 30 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

World record set for farthest hoverboard flight

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:53 pm on 30 Apr 2016,Saturday

Franky Zapata, the French jet ski champion who invented the Flyboard Air, set a new Guinness World Record for the farthest hoverboard flight on Saturday. Zapata rode the Flyboard Air hoverboard for a distance of more than 2,252 meters (7,388 feet), which surpasses the previous record of 275.9 meters (905 feet, 2 inches), set by Canadian Catalin Alexandru Duru.

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:53 pm on 30 Apr

read more at The Verge

E-mail app lets users view all details of sender

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:15 pm on 30 Apr 2016,Saturday

CloudMagic, a mobile e-mail application, has added a Sender Profile feature that lets users view a summary of information about the person who e-mailed them. The information includes job title, workplace, location, homepage and social profiles on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. A user can also access Sender Profiles by tapping on a sender’s contact picture in his inbox.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:15 pm on 30 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Puma develops robot to race against athletes

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:55 pm on 30 Apr 2016,Saturday

Puma has developed a four-wheeled robot, called BeatBot, that is programmed to race against athletes. Runners can pre-determine the robot’s pace via a mobile app that monitors the revolution of its wheels to know how fast it’s going. According to Puma, the self-driving, line-following robot, featuring nine built-in infrared sensors, is capable of hitting the speed levels of Usain Bolt.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:55 pm on 30 Apr

read more at YouTube

Sundar Pichai writes his first Founder’s Letter

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:50 pm on 30 Apr 2016,Saturday

Breaking tradition, Google CEO Sundar Pichai has written his first Founder’s Letter that is otherwise addressed by co-founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin every year. Pichai said Google is investing heavily in artificial intelligence and emphasised on transition from a mobile-first to an AI-first world. He added, "The next...step will be for the very concept of ‘device’ to fade away”.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:50 pm on 30 Apr

read more at The Financial Express

Sonam 1st Bollywood celebrity to launch own app

short by Prashanti Moktan / 10:43 pm on 29 Apr 2016,Friday

Actress Sonam Kapoor has become the first Bollywood celebrity to launch her own app. Releasing the app 'Sonam Kapoor' for Android and iPhone users at an event in Mumbai on Friday, she said, "It will have original content." Through options like 'My Tribe', 'My Life' and 'Sonam Live,' Sonam will interact with fans and answer questions in live chats.

short by Prashanti Moktan / 10:43 pm on 29 Apr

read more at Facebook

Mobile game of Suriya starrer 24 to be launched

short by Prashanti Moktan / 09:46 pm on 29 Apr 2016,Friday

The mobile game '24 Athreya Run', based on Suriya's upcoming Tamil film '24', will be launched on Play Store and App Store on May 1. Created by Creative Monkey Games, the teaser for the game shows all the three characters played by Suriya- Athreya, Mani and Sethuraman. Meanwhile, the film is scheduled to release on May 6.

short by Prashanti Moktan / 09:46 pm on 29 Apr

read more at YouTube

YouTuber Colin Furze builds brake-less hoverbike

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:40 pm on 29 Apr 2016,Friday

YouTuber Colin Furze has built a rideable hoverbike that has no steering system and goes up to a couple of feet high. The seatless, brake-less bike is powered by two motorised propellers and has some of its parts supplied by Ford, Furze claims. He has previously built Wolverine claws, shoes to walk on ceiling, Iron Man suit and jet-powered bicycle.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:40 pm on 29 Apr

read more at YouTube

Twitter co-founder relaunches his Q&A app Jelly

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:55 pm on 29 Apr 2016,Friday

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone on Friday re-launched Jelly, a Q&A app that was initially introduced in 2013 before getting discontinued. Reappearing in search engine-format, the human-powered app allows users to answer questions, and rate responses based on how helpful they were. Users can also browse topics without signing in and ask questions anonymously.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:55 pm on 29 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

FB spent $12 mn to protect Zuckerberg since 2013

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:49 pm on 29 Apr 2016,Friday

Facebook revealed that it spent $12.5 million on Mark Zuckerberg's security since 2013, making it the highest among companies in the S&P 500 Index. Facebook spent $4.26 million in 2015, which exceeds the amount spent on Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Apple's Tim Cook. Notably, his security team is overseen by a former agent who protected US President Barack Obama.

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:49 pm on 29 Apr

read more at Bloomberg

Billionaire Icahn sells Apple stake after 3 yrs

short by Nihal Thondepu / 06:42 pm on 29 Apr 2016,Friday

Billionaire Carl Icahn, who disclosed his stake in Apple three years ago, revealed on Thursday that he sold his entire stake in the company. Icahn said he saw risks in Apple's relationship with China after it banned some of Apple's services. Icahn had shares worth $4.8 billion in February. Apple recently reported its first quarterly revenue fall in 13 years.

short by Nihal Thondepu / 06:42 pm on 29 Apr

read more at Bloomberg

Infosys launches its AI platform Mana

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:19 pm on 29 Apr 2016,Friday

IT firm Infosys has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) platform called Mana. CEO Vishal Sikka, at the Infosys Confluence conference, said that the platform will help clients drive automation for repetitive tasks and lower cost of maintenance. Mana involves three main tools, Infosys Information Platform, Infosys Automation Platform and Infosys Knowledge Platform.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:19 pm on 29 Apr

read more at India Today

Twitter changes iOS app category to 'news'

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:10 pm on 29 Apr 2016,Friday

Twitter has changed the category under which its mobile app is placed on the Apple App Store from ‘social networking’ to ‘news’. While the app ranked fifth in its previous category, it is placed at the first position in the new category. Notably, the app continues to be under the ‘social’ category on the Google Play Store.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:10 pm on 29 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Google Play Store labels apps containing ads

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:50 pm on 29 Apr 2016,Friday

Google has updated its Play Store to label which Android apps and games contain advertisements and which don’t. The label is placed directly below the ‘Install’ button, alongside the existing ‘in-app purchases’ label. The policy covers any type of ad being shown throughout the app, whether native, display, banner or served up through third-party networks.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:50 pm on 29 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Tesla to build more affordable car: Elon Musk

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:24 pm on 29 Apr 2016,Friday

Speaking at the Future Transportation Solutions conference in Norway, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the company’s next electric vehicle will be a car “most people can afford”. He added that Tesla’s fourth generation car will be more affordable that the latest Model 3, which is priced at $35,000 and which “roughly half the people” can afford.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:24 pm on 29 Apr

read more at Mashable

Google hires former Motorola CEO Rick Osterloh

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:12 pm on 29 Apr 2016,Friday

Google has hired former Motorola CEO Rick Osterloh to lead the company’s new hardware division. As Senior Vice-President, Osterloh will run the new hardware product line, that includes Nexus devices, Chromecast, OnHub routers and Google Glass, and report to CEO Sundar Pichai. This is reportedly the first time Google has unified all of its product lines under one division.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:12 pm on 29 Apr

read more at Re/code

US, India top in seeking user data: Facebook

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:38 pm on 29 Apr 2016,Friday

According to Facebook’s biannual transparency report, the US and India top the list of countries that asked Facebook for user data between July and December 2015. While the US sought details of 30,041 accounts, India requested for 7,018 account details. Further, Facebook responded to 81.41% requests in the case of the US, and to 50.87% requests made by Indian authorities.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:38 pm on 29 Apr

Google Calendar finds best meeting time slots

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:06 pm on 28 Apr 2016,Thursday

Google on Wednesday launched a ‘Find a Time’ feature in its Calendar service on Android. It helps users schedule meetings by automatically finding time slots that work for everyone, even for people in different time-zones, based on their availability in the Calendar. If there are no mutually available time slots, the feature suggests meetings that can most easily be rescheduled.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:06 pm on 28 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Apple launches 4 healthcare apps under CareKit

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:56 pm on 28 Apr 2016,Thursday

Apple on Thursday launched the first set of apps developed using CareKit, an open-source platform that lets developers make healthcare apps for iOS. Among the four released apps, one helps users manage diabetes, and one lets patients track symptoms of depression. Apps made through CareKit allows users to track their activity levels, weight, food intake, treatment progress and medication schedules.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:56 pm on 28 Apr

read more at The Verge

Moto 360 Sport smartwatch launched for ₹19,999

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 08:55 pm on 28 Apr 2016,Thursday

Motorola launched its Moto 360 Sport smartwatch for ₹19,999 in India on Thursday. The watch offers a 1.37-inch display, 512 MB RAM, a 300 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor. The dust-and water-proof watch, available exclusively on Flipkart, also feature a heart rate monitor, a built-in GPS and a sweat-resistant silicon band.

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 08:55 pm on 28 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

SpaceX lands its 1st military contract for $83mn

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:20 pm on 28 Apr 2016,Thursday

The US Air Force on Wednesday awarded Elon Musk-owned space company SpaceX its first military contract of launching a GPS satellite for $83 million. This has broken the monopoly that aerospace firms Lockheed Martin and Boeing have held on military space launches for over a decade. The satellite will be launched in May 2018 from Florida, Air Force officials said.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:20 pm on 28 Apr

read more at Reuters

Microsoft experiments with storing data in DNA

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:14 pm on 28 Apr 2016,Thursday

Microsoft has partnered with San Francisco-based startup Twist Bioscience to experiment with using synthetic DNA as a means to store digital data. For this, Microsoft is buying 10 million strands of laboratory-made DNA molecules from the startup. According to Harvard scientists, about 700 terabytes can be stored on one gram of DNA, that can reportedly stay readable till 10,000 years.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:14 pm on 28 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Employee found dead at Apple headquarters

short by Twishy Shahi / 04:55 pm on 28 Apr 2016,Thursday

An Apple employee was found dead in a conference room at the company's headquarters in Cupertino on Wednesday morning. Sergeant Andrea Urena of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said the death of the male employee was an isolated incident. However, there is no information regarding the manner or cause of death, or any weapons.

short by Twishy Shahi / 04:55 pm on 28 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Samsung unveils voice-based assistant robot Otto

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:34 pm on 28 Apr 2016,Thursday

At the on-going Samsung Developer Conference 2016, the company unveiled its Amazon Echo-like voice-based personal assistant robot called Otto. The prototype robot can control various connected gadgets like light switches and refrigerators and can answer questions like “What’s the weather?” Otto also features an HD camera that can recognize faces and act as a security camera, Samsung added.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:34 pm on 28 Apr

read more at Engadget

BlackBerry launches payments service in India

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:36 pm on 28 Apr 2016,Thursday

BlackBerry, in partnership with digital payments platform Digitsecure, has launched its money transfer service, called BBM Money, in India. BlackBerry users can download the BBM Money app and transfer funds to one another through BlackBerry Messenger. The company said that the transfers are instant and secure, but restricted to the BBM app.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:36 pm on 28 Apr

read more at Trak.in

Facebook profit nearly triples to $1.51 billion

short by Aditya Kashyap / 01:19 pm on 28 Apr 2016,Thursday

Facebook on Wednesday announced a three-fold year-on-year rise in net profit for the quarter ended March to $1.51 billion. The growth was attributed to a 57% increase in advertising revenue to $5.2 billion. Further, monthly active users rose to 1.65 billion from 1.59 billion in the previous quarter. Following the announcement, Facebook's shares surged over 9% in after-hours trading.

short by Aditya Kashyap / 01:19 pm on 28 Apr

read more at The Guardian

Panel drops 30% sourcing clause for Apple stores

short by Aditya Kashyap / 09:26 am on 28 Apr 2016,Thursday

A government panel on Wednesday approved tech major Apple's proposal to open its stores in India, waiving off the condition requiring foreign single-brand retailers to source 30% of content locally. The local sourcing clause was exempted for companies bringing in what the government called "cutting-edge” technology. Apple requires the Finance Minister's approval to go ahead with the proposal.

short by Aditya Kashyap / 09:26 am on 28 Apr

read more at Livemint

'Docoss' top Google trend today

short by Ankur Vyas / 12:19 am on 28 Apr 2016,Thursday

Following Docoss X1 Android smartphone being made available for pre-order on Wednesday at ₹888, 'Docoss' was among the most trending Google search in India. It was most looked up in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. 'SSLC result 2016', 'bseodisha.nic.in' and 'Patanjali' were some of the other trending searches in India.

short by Ankur Vyas / 12:19 am on 28 Apr

read more at Google

Talkshow app allows anyone to host shows

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:59 pm on 27 Apr 2016,Wednesday

Former Twitter VP Michael Sippey has launched an iOS app called Talkshow that lets anyone create a show which can be viewed by others in real time. Users can find friends on the app, choose a topic for the show and invite friends as co-hosts. Audiences can also discover shows from the home screen, like individual messages and share reactions.

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:59 pm on 27 Apr

read more at Engadget

5 firms form coalition on self-driving cars

short by Aditya Kashyap / 01:50 pm on 27 Apr 2016,Wednesday

Tech firm Google, automaker Ford Motors, taxi-hailing service Uber, Sweden's Volvo Cars and US-based ride-sharing service Lyft have said they are forming a coalition to push for federal action to help speed self-driving cars' entry into the market. The group will "work with lawmakers, regulators and the public to realise the safety and societal benefits of self-driving vehicles", they said.

short by Aditya Kashyap / 01:50 pm on 27 Apr

read more at The Financial Express

iPhone sales in India up by 56% in March quarter

short by Aditya Kashyap / 01:18 pm on 27 Apr 2016,Wednesday

Tech giant Apple's iPhone sales in India for the quarter ended March grew by 56% year-on-year, Apple CEO Tim Cook said. In comparison, iPhone's sales in Greater China (including Taiwan and Hong Kong), one of Apple's biggest markets, declined 32% in the quarter. Further, India's smartphone market is where China's was seven to ten years ago, Cook added.

short by Aditya Kashyap / 01:18 pm on 27 Apr

Twitter revenue up 36% to $594 million

short by Aditya Kashyap / 12:02 pm on 27 Apr 2016,Wednesday

Twitter on Tuesday reported a 36% rise in revenue for the quarter-ended March to $594.5 million. Losses narrowed to $79.7 million from $162.4 million a year ago. Further, the microblogging service's monthly active user base grew to 310 million from 305 million in the preceding quarter. Post the announcement, however, Twitter's shares fell 13.6%, reportedly owing to lower-than-expected revenue.

short by Aditya Kashyap / 12:02 pm on 27 Apr

read more at Reuters

Apple posts 1st quarterly revenue fall in 13 yrs

short by Jatan Desai / 08:49 am on 27 Apr 2016,Wednesday

Apple on Tuesday reported a 22.5% fall in profit to $10.5 billion for the quarter ended March, as revenue declined for the first time since 2003 to $50.6 billion. The fall was attributed to the first ever drop in the sales of iPhones in the device's near-nine-year history to nearly 51.2 million units, down 10 million from the year-ago period.

short by Jatan Desai / 08:49 am on 27 Apr

read more at Reuters

Raspberry Pi microcomputer gets 8 MP camera

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:35 pm on 26 Apr 2016,Tuesday

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has updated the camera board of its Raspberry Pi microcomputer, a credit card-sized device, to 8 MP from 5 MP for the same price of $25. The camera module, available in infrared and visible light variants, is powered by the Sony IMX219 sensor, that can shoot images in the 3280x2464 resolution and record videos in full-HD.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:35 pm on 26 Apr

read more at Engadget

Startup builds foldable drone that follows users

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:07 pm on 26 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Beijing-based startup Zero Zero Robotics has developed Hover Camera, a foldable drone that automatically follows its owner via face tracking technology. The drone features a 13 MP main camera that can capture 4K videos, and another downward-facing 3 MP camera. Its four propellers are fully enclosed by a carbon fiber frame, reportedly making it a safer drone.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:07 pm on 26 Apr

read more at Engadget

Smart Shower to track presence and save water

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:27 pm on 26 Apr 2016,Tuesday

A California-based startup has created OaSense, a smart shower head that helps save water with a presence-detecting sensor. It can detect when a user is under the shower and pauses the water flow when the user steps away. OaSense has a button for switching between 'sense' and 'standard' modes and its power lasts over one year with four replaceable batteries.

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:27 pm on 26 Apr

read more at Kickstarter

Apple is outdated, says LeEco CEO

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:14 pm on 26 Apr 2016,Tuesday

In an interview to CNBC, Jia Yueting CEO of Chinese conglomerate LeEco, said Apple is outdated and losing momentum in China. “One of the most important reasons is that Apple's innovation has become extremely slow,” he added. On the newly launched iPhone SE, he said, “From an insiders' perspective, this is a product with a very low level of technology."

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:14 pm on 26 Apr

read more at The Verge

Panic button mandatory for phones from '17: Govt

short by Nihal Thondepu / 03:16 pm on 26 Apr 2016,Tuesday

The government on Tuesday made it mandatory for all mobile phones sold in India to have a panic button starting 2017. The emergency button should be activated on pressing a designated key. "Technology is solely meant to make human life better and what better than using it for the security of women," Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

short by Nihal Thondepu / 03:16 pm on 26 Apr

read more at Business Today

Facebook making Snapchat-like camera app: Report

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:45 pm on 26 Apr 2016,Tuesday

According to media reports, Facebook is building a stand-alone camera app to foster immediate capturing and sharing of media. The app opens straight into a camera, like Snapchat, and also allows users to broadcast live video footages via Facebook Live. However, the prototype app is in its experimental stage and may never witness a public release, the reports added.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:45 pm on 26 Apr

read more at The Verge

US launches cyber attack against ISIS

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 11:21 pm on 25 Apr 2016,Monday

According to the US deputy defense secretary Robert Work, the country has launched its first cyber attack against the ISIS. The cyber campaign aims to disrupt ISIS' communications, recruitment and financial operations, that are executed online, and hopes that this will lead to it doubting its digital security. Work said, “We are dropping cyberbombs. We have never done that before.”

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 11:21 pm on 25 Apr

read more at The Verge

NASA successfully flies 22 drones simultaneously

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:15 pm on 25 Apr 2016,Monday

NASA, in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the US, has successfully flown 22 drones simultaneously in several locations over the span of three hours to test a drone traffic management system. The space agency called this the most complex test yet of a drone traffic management system and the first and the largest demonstration of its kind.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:15 pm on 25 Apr

read more at Engadget

Android app Radon shares links using ultrasound

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:01 pm on 25 Apr 2016,Monday

A new Android app, called Radon, shares links between devices using ultrasonic sound waves, that are inaudible to the human ear. Users can share links with all nearby devices through the app without having to manually pair them, be on the same WiFi network or scan QR codes. However, the app does not support sharing of image and video files.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:01 pm on 25 Apr

read more at The Next Web

IoT security spend to reach $348mn in '16: Study

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:40 pm on 25 Apr 2016,Monday

According to research company Gartner, the global security expenditure on Internet of Things (IoT) will reach $348 million (roughly ₹2,321 crore) in 2016. This will be a 23.7% increase from last year, the company added. Further, the report predicted that 6.4 billion connected devices will be in use worldwide in 2016, a 30% increase from 2015.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:40 pm on 25 Apr

read more at Daily Mail

Microsoft's keyboard app Word Flow comes to iOS

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:54 pm on 25 Apr 2016,Monday

Microsoft on Monday launched its next-word predicting keyboard app, Word Flow, on iOS in the US. The app intelligently predicts next words in sentences and lets users customize the background with their own images. Users can tap or swipe to type out words, or use the app’s one-handed mode, that moves the keyboard to the side in an arc shape.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:54 pm on 25 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Logitech makes display with 160 gaming keyboards

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:52 pm on 25 Apr 2016,Monday

At the PAX East gaming festival in Boston, peripheral maker Logitech created a pixelated display, dubbed ‘The Great Wall of Logitech G’, using 160 light-up G810 keyboards. The multi-colour gaming keyboards, where each key acted as a pixel, allow users to personalize the backlight on every individual key and create preset layouts for different games and controller setups.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:52 pm on 25 Apr

read more at The Verge

Motorola announces Virat Kohli-themed smartphone

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:55 pm on 25 Apr 2016,Monday

Motorola has announced a special Virat Kohli-themed variant of its Moto G Turbo Edition smartphone. The smartphone, to be available from May first week, features a ‘V’ signifying the cricketer and is bundled as part of the Virat FanBox. The FanBox, priced at ₹16,999, is a one-year fanclub membership concept and also includes a miniature bat autographed by Kohli.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:55 pm on 25 Apr

read more at India Today

FB launches Hindi transliteration on Android

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:40 pm on 25 Apr 2016,Monday

Facebook on Monday updated its Android app to add a new Hindi transliteration feature. Users can now type in Hindi using an English keyboard, through a new button on the typing bar, and Facebook will automatically transliterate the Roman script to Devanagari. Further, Facebook also provides a visual keyboard with Devanagari characters for users to correct any mistakes.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:40 pm on 25 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Sirin Labs gets $72 mn to launch phone over $10k

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:27 pm on 25 Apr 2016,Monday

British-Israeli startup Sirin Labs on Monday raised $72 million in seed funding to launch 'Solarin', a smartphone to be priced over $10,000-15,000. The funding was raised from Singulariteam Founder Moshe Hogeg, Kazakh businessman Kenges Rakishev and Chinese social networking platform Renren. A combination of a military phone and a usual phone, the smartphone will launch on May 17 in London.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:27 pm on 25 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Bangladesh Bank did not have a firewall: Police

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:33 am on 25 Apr 2016,Monday

According to investigators, the Bangladesh Bank heist occurred because it did not have a firewall and used second-hand, $10 switches. This comes after cyber criminals broke into the bank’s system in February and made fraudulent transfers of $81 million to Philippines. Notably, this was one of the largest amounts stolen from a bank at one go.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:33 am on 25 Apr

read more at Reuters

French startup makes autonomous underwater drone

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:46 am on 25 Apr 2016,Monday

A France-based startup has developed 'iBubble', a $1299 autonomous camera-enabled drone that lets users shoot underwater footage. Controlled through a connected bracelet, the drone combines two 1,000 lumen lights, image stabilisation system and professional grade camera movements and angles. It also comes with manual mode and lasts for one hour in single charge.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:46 am on 25 Apr

read more at YouTube

Philips launches smart voice recorder SpeechAir

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:40 am on 25 Apr 2016,Monday

Philips has launched an Android-powered digital voice recorder aimed at legal and medical professionals. Called SpeechAir, the smartphone-like recorder features an antimicrobial exterior, a 5 MP camera that can read barcodes, Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, 1 GB of RAM and is powered by a dual-core Cortex A9 processor. It supports real-time encryption and can be remotely administered.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:40 am on 25 Apr

read more at The Verge

US startup makes interactive smart ball for pets

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:57 pm on 24 Apr 2016,Sunday

A US-based startup has created 'PlayDate', a $149 smart interactive ball that lets owners play with their pets remotely. Controlled through an app, the ball has an in-built camera and microphone to let owners watch their pets, click photos, record videos and talk to their pets from anywhere. The app also allows users to control the movement of the ball.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:57 pm on 24 Apr

read more at YouTube

Data leak makes Mexico voters' record public

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:39 pm on 24 Apr 2016,Sunday

According to reports, the entire data of Mexico's voters totalling around on 87 million was publicly available on an Amazon server for at least eight days. It included the voters' names, addresses, birthdates and their national identification numbers. The data leak was discovered by Chris Vickery, a security researcher, who reported it to the concerned officials in US and Mexico.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:39 pm on 24 Apr

read more at The Verge

Fake tech support scams tripled in '15: Symantec

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:33 pm on 24 Apr 2016,Sunday

According to security firm Symantec, fake technical support scams, where cyber criminals pose as tech support to steal consumer data, rose by 200% globally in 2015. The report added that India ranked 11 among the most-targeted countries, with the US topping the list. A senior Symantec executive said that the company blocked over 100 million tech support scams last year.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:33 pm on 24 Apr

read more at India Today

Smart pen transfers drawings onto digital format

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:27 pm on 24 Apr 2016,Sunday

French company Orée has launched an ink stylus for $300 that lets users transfer their drawings from paper to iOS or Android devices. Called Stylograph, the pen tracks users’ strokes on a special ‘stone mineral’ paper via its accelerometer and camera, and transfers the same to a matching app. The device can also save drawings to its own internal memory.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:27 pm on 24 Apr

read more at Engadget

App to send alerts to men on smelling bad

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:13 pm on 24 Apr 2016,Sunday

Skin care company Nivea has launched 'Nose', a beta version of an app that alerts men on smelling bad. Combined with a hardware sensor technology inside a mobile cover, it detects the user's odour when the smartphone is placed close to the armpit. The company will launch a consumer version of the app after testing it throughout this year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:13 pm on 24 Apr

read more at YouTube

Million people a month use Facebook anonymously

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:38 pm on 24 Apr 2016,Sunday

According to Facebook, every month over a million people use the social networking website through 'Tor', a free software that lets users to communicate anonymously on the internet. However, about 525,000 people were accessing Facebook through Tor in June 2015. Facebook in October 2014 had created a special address to let users privately access the website through Tor.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:38 pm on 24 Apr

read more at Hindustan Times

Online encyclopedia on Indian culture launched

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:20 pm on 24 Apr 2016,Sunday

Delhi-based researcher Sudha Gopalakrishnan on Saturday launched a free online encyclopedia on Indian culture called Sahapedia. The website, supported by information technology company TCS, features 5,000 pages on topics like heritage monuments, dance forms, poetry, philosophy, film and theatre, religious festivals and wildlife parks. The portal also provides access to digital books and pictures.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:20 pm on 24 Apr

read more at India Today

Video shows powering of iMessage data center

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:36 pm on 24 Apr 2016,Sunday

Apple has released a 45-second video to explain how its data center is powered, through which the iMessages are sent. It includes text and emojis on the screen of an Apple device to show the energy sources used by Apple to convert it into power. Apple further claims that its users send tens of billions of iMessages every day.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:36 pm on 24 Apr

read more at YouTube

Tech lets groups of drones navigate obstacles

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:21 pm on 24 Apr 2016,Sunday

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) said that they have developed a control algorithm that can enable groups of flying drones to navigate obstacles. The researchers added that using the fourth dimension of time, their decentralized algorithm allows drones to predict the trajectory of moving obstacles and accordingly re-route their own formations.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:21 pm on 24 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Google scans 6 bn apps daily to secure Android

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:37 pm on 24 Apr 2016,Sunday

Google has claimed to scan over 6 billion installed apps daily to protect the Android users from Potentially Harmful Apps (PHAs). It further claimed to scan 400 million devices daily to protect its users from network-based and on-device threats. Google added that the probability of installing a PHA from Google Play reduced by over 40% in 2015 compared to 2014.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:37 pm on 24 Apr

read more at India Today

Skull-based authentication system developed

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:08 am on 24 Apr 2016,Sunday

Germany-based researchers have developed a new biometric authentication system called 'SkullConduct', which works by analyzing skull vibrations in reaction to an ultrasonic signal. The system plays a one-second long audio clip into the user's head and analyzes the signal after it's traveled through the skull. The team found that the system successfully identified the subjects 97% of the times.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:08 am on 24 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Facebook, Google offices face flood risk: Report

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:11 pm on 23 Apr 2016,Saturday

A team of scientists have said that the Silicon Valley offices of companies like Facebook, Google and Cisco are at the risk of being flooded, as rising sea levels threaten to submerge the properties in San Francisco Bay Area. Scientists said, “Facebook is very vulnerable. They built on a very low site…Google and Facebook will have to redo their campuses”.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:11 pm on 23 Apr

read more at Hindustan Times

Twitter India starts providing pollution updates

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:27 pm on 23 Apr 2016,Saturday

Twitter India has collaborated with data journalism website IndiaSpend to provide users with real-time air pollution updates in Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai, the microblogging website announced in a blog post. Users can tweet #Breathe followed by their location to instantly receive data about the air quality index of their respective areas and its possible health impacts.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:27 pm on 23 Apr

read more at Twitter

Apple to only accept native Apple Watch apps

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:00 pm on 23 Apr 2016,Saturday

Starting June 1, all Apple Watch apps submitted to the App Store must be natively built via the watchOS 2 or later, Apple said in a blog post on Friday. This will enable the apps to run independently on the Apple Watch and will limit their dependency on iPhones. Notably, non-native apps can access internet only over a nearby iPhone.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:00 pm on 23 Apr

read more at Engadget

Students open cafe that uses drones to serve

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:53 pm on 23 Apr 2016,Saturday

Twenty students from the Eindhoven University of Technology in Netherlands claim to have opened the world’s first ‘drone cafe’ which features drones that can independently take and serve orders. With this, the students aim to demonstrate the potential of new drone applications like fire prevention and medicine delivery. The pop-up cafe is open to the public till April 24.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:53 pm on 23 Apr

read more at YouTube

Google launches its first Google Play Awards

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:27 pm on 23 Apr 2016,Saturday

Google in a blog post announced its first-ever Google Play Awards to “highlight some of the best apps” on the platform. Chosen by experts at Google, the program will showcase five nominees across 10 award categories including Best Game, Best App and Most Innovative. The winners will be announced at the Google I/O conference in May.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:27 pm on 23 Apr

read more at The Verge

US startup makes hand-controlled robotics kit

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:57 pm on 23 Apr 2016,Saturday

A US-based startup has made 'Ziro', a $149 hand gesture-controlled robotics kit which includes a smart glove, a smartphone app and motorized modules. The kit lets users build their robots and control them with hand gestures including lifting a finger or flicking the wrist. The modules last for seven hours on a single charge.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:57 pm on 23 Apr

read more at YouTube

Twitter launches Shakespeare emoji

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:44 pm on 23 Apr 2016,Saturday

To mark the 400th death anniversary of William Shakespeare, Twitter on Saturday launched a dedicated Shakespeare emoji. Twitter has also launched a dedicated hashtag #ShakespeareLives to let users tweet their tribute to the English poet, playwright and actor. The micro-blogging platform will also post tweets from users imagining what Shakespeare would tweet if he were alive.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:44 pm on 23 Apr

read more at The Verge

First YouTube video was published on this day

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:41 pm on 23 Apr 2016,Saturday

The first video on YouTube was published on April 23, 2005, by the video-sharing website’s Co-founder Jawed Karim. Titled ‘Me at the zoo’, the 19-second video was uploaded at 8:27 pm and was recorded by Karim’s high school friend Yakov Lapitsky. It was shot at the San Diego Zoo and featured Karim in front of the elephants.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:41 pm on 23 Apr

read more at YouTube

Microsoft, Google to drop regulatory complaints

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:41 pm on 23 Apr 2016,Saturday

Google and Microsoft recently reached an agreement under which the two firms will drop all pending regulatory complaints against each other across the globe. The two parties also agreed to try to settle any future issues among themselves before involving the regulators. Notably, Microsoft had first filed a complaint against Google in 2015, accusing it of anti-competitive search business practices.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:41 pm on 23 Apr

read more at Re/code

Google India's most influential brand: Study

short by Arjun Bhatia / 12:22 pm on 23 Apr 2016,Saturday

Google has emerged as India’s most influential brand, according to a study by global market research company Ipsos. Google was followed by Facebook, Gmail, Microsoft, Samsung, and Whatsapp, with Flipkart as the highest ranked Indian brand at the seventh spot. Amazon, SBI, and Airtel completed the top-10. The study, which ranked brands in 21 countries, was conducted in December 2015.

short by Arjun Bhatia / 12:22 pm on 23 Apr

read more at The Financial Express

'India to be 2nd largest smartphone market'

short by Aditya Kashyap / 12:19 pm on 23 Apr 2016,Saturday

India is expected to overtake the US as the second largest smartphone market by 2017, according to a report by financial services firm Morgan Stanley. Further, India's smartphone market will grow at a compounded annual rate of 23% through 2018 to 192 million units (11% of global units), nearly five times faster than the largest smartphone market, China, it added.

short by Aditya Kashyap / 12:19 pm on 23 Apr

read more at The Financial Express

US startup makes hoodie with bluetooth, speakers

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:17 am on 23 Apr 2016,Saturday

US-based startup Wer-tek has created 'Hiody', a bluetooth-enabled hoodie with in-built speakers and microphone, priced at $69. A button on the hoodie's pocket lets users control music, receive or ignore calls. It also has an integrated universal MiniJack compatible with all kinds of music devices. The hoodie becomes completely machine washable after removing the integrated technology.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:17 am on 23 Apr

read more at Kickstarter

Chinese firm unveils sunglass-like VR headset

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:30 pm on 22 Apr 2016,Friday

Chinese company Dlodlo Technologies recently unveiled V One lightweight VR headset, a sunglass-like VR headset which the company bills as the world's first portable VR glass. The device, which weighs around 78 grams and is 16 millimeters thin, offers a 100-degree field of view and a 2K display with a pixel density of 1600 pixels-per-inch and 10-millisecond latency.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:30 pm on 22 Apr

read more at Forbes

India second-most targeted by social media scams

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:13 pm on 22 Apr 2016,Friday

According to security firm Symantec, India is the second-most targeted nation by social media scams. The report said that India saw a 156% rise in scams in 2015 where users interacted with malicious content on their social networks. Further, India is the third-largest hub for malware activity after China and the US, with the mining industry being the most risk-prone.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:13 pm on 22 Apr

read more at The Verge

Robot developed to repair undersea equipment

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:09 pm on 22 Apr 2016,Friday

Norwegian companies Eelume, Statoil and Kongsberg Maritime have jointly developed an aquatic robot to perform visual inspection, cleaning and basic repairs for undersea equipment. The flexible self-propelled robot can also enter confined areas of undersea equipment to tighten loose valves. The robot will be permanently installed on the seabed to perform on-demand inspections.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:09 pm on 22 Apr

read more at YouTube

FOMO, ICYMI added to Merriam-Webster dictionary

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:51 pm on 22 Apr 2016,Friday

The Merriam-Webster dictionary has added over 1,400 new terms and phrases to its unabridged version, providing official recognition to a host of technology and internet culture terminology. The new words and acronyms include Bitcoin, nomophobia (the fear of being without a working mobile phone), FOMO (fear of missing out), TMI (too much information) and ICYMI (in case you missed it).

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:51 pm on 22 Apr

read more at Engadget

Acer unveils Chromebook 14 for Work

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:46 pm on 22 Apr 2016,Friday

Taiwanese company Acer on Thursday unveiled its new Chromebook 14 for Work which is claimed to withstand drops from up to 4 feet height. The device features a 14-inch full HD screen, 4 GB of RAM and is powered by an Intel processor. It also has a “spill-resistant” keyboard and promises up to 12 hours of battery life.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:46 pm on 22 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Buddhist temple develops 2-feet tall robot monk

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:07 pm on 22 Apr 2016,Friday

A Buddhist temple on the outskirts of Beijing, named Longquan, has developed a robot monk that can chant Buddhist mantras and move via voice command. Called Xian'er, the two-feet tall robot can hold a conversation by answering around 20 questions about Buddhism and daily life, and can also perform seven types of motions on its wheels.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:07 pm on 22 Apr

read more at Reuters

Acer unveils smartphone with 5,000 mAh battery

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:54 pm on 22 Apr 2016,Friday

Acer on Thursday unveiled its Liquid Zest Plus smartphone with a 5,000 mAh battery. The battery supports fast charging and can reportedly last for about two days on a single charge. The phone, to be priced below ₹16,000, features a 5.5-inch HD display, 2 GB of RAM, 13 MP/5 MP cameras and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:54 pm on 22 Apr

read more at The Verge

Micromax launches Canvas Spark 2 Plus for ₹3,999

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:18 pm on 22 Apr 2016,Friday

Micromax on Thursday launched the Canvas Spark 2 Plus smartphone in India for ₹3,999. The phone features a 5" display, 1 GB of RAM, 5 MP/ 2 MP cameras, a 2,000 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor. The phone, that runs Android Marshmallow out-of-the-box, is available on Snapdeal in three colour variants.

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:18 pm on 22 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

FB's News Feed factors in time spent on articles

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:17 pm on 22 Apr 2016,Friday

Facebook on Thursday announced an update to its News Feed that will factor in how much time a user spends on reading an article. With this algorithm tweak, that will not consider the article loading time, Facebook aims to better understand which stories it should surface in users' News Feeds. The update will completely roll out over the coming weeks.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:17 pm on 22 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Google Doodle marks Earth Day with five doodles

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:14 pm on 22 Apr 2016,Friday

Google Doodle on Friday marked the 46th Earth Day by releasing five doodles representing the five major biomes of the Earth. The doodles include tundra featuring a polar bear, forest featuring a red fox, grassland featuring an elephant, desert featuring a tortoise and ocean featuring a coral reef and an octopus. The images were created by Google doodler Sophie Diao.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:14 pm on 22 Apr

read more at Google

Microsoft net income drops 24.6% to $3.76 bn

short by Arjun Bhatia / 01:21 pm on 22 Apr 2016,Friday

Microsoft on Thursday reported a 24.6% year-on-year decline in net income to $3.76 billion in the quarter ended March. Revenue fell by 5.5% to $20.53 billion. Operating profit of two of the company's three major business divisions, Productivity & Business Processes and Intelligent Cloud, dropped 6.55% and 13.6% respectively, while that of the More Personal Computing division rose by 48.6%.

short by Arjun Bhatia / 01:21 pm on 22 Apr

read more at The Financial Express

Alphabet net income up by 19.6% to $4.21 billion

short by Arjun Bhatia / 09:57 am on 22 Apr 2016,Friday

Google’s parent company Alphabet on Thursday reported a 19.6% year-on-year rise in net income to $4.21 billion in the quarter ended March. The world's No.2 publicly traded company by market capitalisation saw a 17.4% jump in consolidated revenue to $20.26 billion. The higher profits were driven by a 16.2% rise in Google’s advertising revenue to $18.02 billion.

short by Arjun Bhatia / 09:57 am on 22 Apr

read more at The Financial Express

Acer unveils cycling computer Xplova X5

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:25 am on 22 Apr 2016,Friday

Taiwanese company Acer on Thursday unveiled Xplova X5, the latest version of its cycling computer series. Apart from displaying important metrics like cycling speed and heart rate, the device features a wide-screen camera that can start recording when the rider's heart rate increases. It also lets cyclists automatically capture three-second video clips based on certain pre-determined parameters.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:25 am on 22 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Opera introduces free VPN into its browser

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:11 am on 22 Apr 2016,Friday

Norwegian technology company Opera Software has introduced free and unlimited Virtual Private Network (VPN) feature into its desktop browser, making it the first major browser to offer an integrated VPN. A VPN creates an encrypted connection over a less secure network. It can be used to improve public Wi-Fi security, hide user's IP address and bypasses certain website access restrictions.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:11 am on 22 Apr

read more at VentureBeat

New battery designed with lengthened lifespans

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:24 pm on 21 Apr 2016,Thursday

US-based researchers have created a nanowire-based battery material that can be recharged over 100,000 times without degrading its power or capacity. A standard lithium-ion battery, used in most of the smartphones, have 300 to 500 charge cycles in it before its capacity starts decaying. In initial testing, the material was recharged 200,000 times without any capacity or power loss.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:24 pm on 21 Apr

read more at Phys

Google to add live TV listings to search

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:10 pm on 21 Apr 2016,Thursday

Google on Wednesday announced that it will soon add live TV listings to its search engine. Along with timings, these listings will feature the apps where a particular show can be watched and the channels where it will be shown. The company said that this will also make it easier for networks to monetize their shows.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:10 pm on 21 Apr

read more at Engadget

Zuckerberg in TIME's 100 most influential people

short by Twishy Shahi / 08:35 pm on 21 Apr 2016,Thursday

TIME magazine on Thursday released its list of 100 most influential people which featured Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan. The couple has been described as curious, ambitious and bighearted by Bill and Melinda Gates in a testimonial for the magazine. The list also includes Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Russian entrepreneur Yuri Milner.

short by Twishy Shahi / 08:35 pm on 21 Apr

read more at Engadget

Microsoft Translator app adds image translation

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:12 pm on 21 Apr 2016,Thursday

Microsoft on Wednesday updated its Translator app on Android to add support for image translation. Users can translate the text inside the pictures on their phones, with the translation appearing in an overlay above the existing text. The company said, “[Y]ou no longer need to type text or say foreign language phrases...when you see them written on signs, menus, flyers”.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:12 pm on 21 Apr

read more at VentureBeat

Facebook Messenger launches free group calling

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:37 pm on 21 Apr 2016,Thursday

Facebook Messenger has globally launched its free group calling feature on both Android and iOS. Users can tap on the 'phone' icon in group conversations to initiate a group call, and then manage individual participants on the next screen. Participants can also join an on-going call by tapping on the same icon. Notably, the maximum participant limit is 50.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:37 pm on 21 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Google India's most attractive employer: Survey

short by Aditya Kashyap / 04:34 pm on 21 Apr 2016,Thursday

Google India has emerged as the most attractive employer in the country for the second consecutive year, followed by Mercedes-Benz, according to a survey by human resource consulting firm Randstad. The survey, based on views from 7,500 respondents, said salary and employee benefits were the top driver among the Indian workforce while choosing an employer, followed by long-term security.

short by Aditya Kashyap / 04:34 pm on 21 Apr

read more at The Financial Express

Microsoft stops production of Xbox 360 console

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:21 pm on 21 Apr 2016,Thursday

Microsoft is stopping the production of its Xbox 360 video game console that was first launched 10 years ago, the company announced in a blog post on Wednesday. The company will still sell the remainder of its stock and support the existing devices. Microsoft is now manufacturing only one gaming device, the Xbox One, that was launched in 2013.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:21 pm on 21 Apr

read more at VentureBeat

Corning introduces image printing on its glass

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:28 am on 21 Apr 2016,Thursday

The maker of Gorilla Glass, Corning has launched 'Vibrant Corning Gorilla Glass' that allows printing high-resolution images directly on the Gorilla glass surface. The new material would enable manufacturers to display their high-resolution full-image logos on their devices, the company said. However, the equipment and processes involved in manufacturing the glass were not revealed.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:28 am on 21 Apr

read more at Engadget

Twitter reacts to Snapchat's Bob Marley filter

short by Twishy Shahi / 11:57 pm on 20 Apr 2016,Wednesday

On the 420 day, where people celebrate the cannabis culture, Snapchat created a Bob Marley filter. Criticising the move, a user tweeted, "All the things Bob Marley did, stood/fought for, & accomplished, he's reduced to just a weed symbol for stoners." "Oh Snapchat. At what point did the Bob Marley blackface filter sound like a good idea?," another user tweeted.

short by Twishy Shahi / 11:57 pm on 20 Apr

read more at Twitter

LeEco unveils its own autonomous electric car

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:23 pm on 20 Apr 2016,Wednesday

China-based LeEco on Wednesday unveiled its first autonomous electric car, dubbed as LeSEE. With a theoretical top speed of around 209 kmph, its front face features a smart screen, displaying specific vehicle data when it is running, the company said. In a video, the company revealed that the vehicle's back seat can adapt to the shape of a passengers' bodies.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:23 pm on 20 Apr

read more at Engadget

Acer launches 'Predator' gaming series in India

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:54 pm on 20 Apr 2016,Wednesday

Taiwan-based company Acer has launched its 'Predator' gaming series in India, starting at ₹1,20,000. The portfolio includes desktops, laptops, monitors and a range of displays including a widescreen monitor, a gaming-optimized projector and the world's first 34-inch curved gaming monitor 'Predator X34'. The desktop lineup sports the latest 6th-generation i7 processors and offers 64 GB of RAM.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:54 pm on 20 Apr

read more at Hindustan Times

YouTube ads more effective than TV, says Google

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:51 pm on 20 Apr 2016,Wednesday

According to Matt Brittin, President, EMEA Business and Operations at Google, YouTube advertisements are more effective than television advertisements. A yet to unveil Google report claims that in 80% of cases YouTube ads were far more effective than TV ads in driving sales across eight countries. It also calls on advertisers to increase their spending on YouTube over television.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:51 pm on 20 Apr

read more at The Guardian

Samsung app to protect kids' eyes from screens

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:37 pm on 20 Apr 2016,Wednesday

Samsung has launched 'Samsung Safety Screen', an Android app that helps children to hold devices at a safe distance from their eyes. Using front camera for the user's facial recognition, the app calculates the optimal distance. When the child’s eyes are close to the screen, the app pops up an animation advising the child to move back.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:37 pm on 20 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Google launches Chromecast devices in India

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:05 pm on 20 Apr 2016,Wednesday

Google on Wednesday launched its latest Chromecast and Chromecast Audio devices in India at ₹3,399. Chromecast is a device that allows streaming media on television while Chromecast Audio allows streaming music on speakers, both of which can be controlled through a mobile or web application. The company is also offering free six-month Saavn Pro and HOOQ subscriptions with the devices.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:05 pm on 20 Apr

Startup develops digital guitar without strings

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:32 pm on 20 Apr 2016,Wednesday

California-based startup Magic Instruments has developed 'Rhythm Guitar', a digital guitar that does not have any strings along its fretboard. Instead, each fret has been replaced by a button, which represents an entire chord, rather than a single note. The device comes with a mobile application, featuring instructions on how to play some of the most popular songs.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:32 pm on 20 Apr

read more at YouTube

Google to use biometric data to improve search

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:25 pm on 20 Apr 2016,Wednesday

According to a patent filed by Google, the search engine might use a user's biometric parameters to improve the search results. The technology uses a camera or infrared data to track user's body temperature, heart rate, pupil dilation, eye twitch, facial flushing, blink rate and facial expressions. It will help Google know how the user feels about the search results.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:25 pm on 20 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Band to wake up users with electric shock

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:25 pm on 20 Apr 2016,Wednesday

A US-based startup Pavlok has launched 'Shock Clock', a $79 band that uses electric shock to wake up users on the set time. Controlled through an app, the band vibrates, beeps and later zaps the user on not waking up at the set alarm time. The band also lets users enable their friends with an option to zap them awake.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:25 pm on 20 Apr

read more at Engadget

Samsung launches Pink Gold Galaxy S7, S7 Edge

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:39 pm on 20 Apr 2016,Wednesday

Samsung on Wednesday launched 'Pink Gold' coloured versions of its latest Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones in Korea. "The Pink Gold Galaxy S7 and S7 edge will soon be available for customers in select markets," said Samsung. The phones were already available in four colour options including Black Onyx, Gold Platinum, White Pearl and Silver Titanium.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:39 pm on 20 Apr

read more at Samsung

Yahoo goes from $21 mn profit to $99 mn loss

short by Aditya Kashyap / 02:20 pm on 20 Apr 2016,Wednesday

Tech firm Yahoo on Tuesday reported a net loss of $99 million for the quarter ended March compared to a profit of $21 million in the year-ago period. The company's revenue fell 11.3% year-on-year to $1.09 billion, the first decline in five quarters. Notably, Yahoo is evaluating bids to sell its internet operations amid a decline in its business.

short by Aditya Kashyap / 02:20 pm on 20 Apr

read more at The Financial Express

Startup makes plant pot that charges phones

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:09 am on 20 Apr 2016,Wednesday

A Spanish startup has developed 'Bioo', a plant pot that charges mobile phones and tablets with the power generated from photosynthesis. The pot generates power throughout the day and night and uses a normal phone charging cable to deliver two to three charges per day. It allows users to choose between any kind of plant, soil or irrigation method.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:09 am on 20 Apr

read more at YouTube

Magic Leap demonstrates its augmented reality

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:45 am on 20 Apr 2016,Wednesday

Google-backed American startup Magic Leap has released a video showcasing its head-mounted augmented reality technology. The video, which was shot directly through its headset, features a wearer opening up several notifications in a floating graphic in his room. Notably, the startup had raised over $1 billion in funding without giving a public demo of its technology.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:45 am on 20 Apr

read more at YouTube

AI system that can predict 85% of cyber-attacks

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:42 am on 20 Apr 2016,Wednesday

MIT researchers have demonstrated an Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform that was able to predict around 85% of cyber attacks, almost three times better than the current systems, with the help of input from cyber security experts. For the results, the developed system was implemented on 3.6 billion pieces of data, generated by millions of users in three months.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:42 am on 20 Apr

read more at MIT News

Mobile flip cover with flexible display made

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:06 pm on 19 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Microsoft and Austrian researchers have developed 'FlexCase', a prototype of a smart flip cover for smartphones with touch-sensitive flexible display. Users can flip pages, zoom in and out, navigate pages and rotate maps by bending the cover forward or backward. The cover can also be used as an extended visual display screen for searching and typing.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:06 pm on 19 Apr

read more at YouTube

Apple updates MacBook's memory, battery life

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:52 pm on 19 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Apple on Tuesday updated its MacBooks with standard RAM of 8 GB and up to 10 hours of battery life. It features sixth-generation dual-core Intel Core M processors up to 1.3 GHz with new Intel HD Graphics 515, which claims to be 25% faster than existing MacBooks. The company has also added the rose gold colour option for the MacBook.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:52 pm on 19 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Infosys Co-founder's app shows Indian IT history

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:45 pm on 19 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Infosys Co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan has launched 'itihaasa', an app that gives a glimpse of India Information Technology history. The app includes videos of Indian tech giants including N R Narayana Murthy, Azim Premji, S Ramadorai, Nandan Nilekani and others. It also includes archived photographs and articles about Indian technology with features to let users personalise their content feed.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:45 pm on 19 Apr

read more at YourStory

Google Play Music launches support for podcasts

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:28 pm on 19 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Google has launched podcasts on its Play Music app that will offer users contextual recommendations based on their activities and interests. Users can now play podcasts of major shows including Marc Maron’s WTF, Chris Hardwick’s The Nerdist, and Neil deGrasse Tyson's StarTalk Radio. The service is currently available in the US and Canada on the web and Android.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:28 pm on 19 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Over 750,000 websites breached in a year: Google

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:39 pm on 19 Apr 2016,Tuesday

According to a study by Google, a total of 760,935 websites were breached between July 2014 and June 2015. Further, the most number of breaches were recorded on the WordPress platform, which accounted for almost half of all attacks. The study also stated that over a third of the breached websites were in English, followed by Chinese and German.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:39 pm on 19 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Viber adds end-to-end encryption & hidden chats

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:18 pm on 19 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Instant messaging service Viber on Tuesday introduced end-to-end encryption for messages and calls on its platform, that will come with varying levels of security. It also introduced the concept of hidden chats which allows locking certain conversations using a four-digit PIN. These services were initially rolled out in four countries and is expected to launch globally in the coming weeks.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:18 pm on 19 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Smart clothespin alerts users before rainfall

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:11 pm on 19 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Australian detergent company OMO has developed 'Peggy', a smart clothespin that alerts users before it is about to rain through its humidity, light and temperature sensors. Connected via an app, the clothespin also tells the best time to wash the clothes and how long it will take it to dry. It also updates users about good weather to go outdoors.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:11 pm on 19 Apr

read more at YouTube

Tesla offers free trial of Autopilot feature

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:25 pm on 19 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Tesla is offering the owners of its Model S and Model X cars a free monthly trial of the Autopilot feature. The feature lets a car navigate itself along road curves, manage speed and change lanes with a single tap. The car can park itself on the user's command. Users can also make the feature permanent via a software update.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:25 pm on 19 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Telegram to give $1 mn in grants to build bots

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:04 pm on 19 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Cloud-based instant messaging service Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov will give away $1 million in the form of grants to developers who “create an impressive bot” using Telegram’s Bot API. The series of grants will start at $25,000 each. The company said that the areas developers should focus on include integrations, tools for bot builders, AI and natural language processing.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:04 pm on 19 Apr

read more at VentureBeat

Harvard-made robot teaches kids how to code

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:00 pm on 19 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Researchers from Harvard's Wyss Institute have created a small hexagonal robot called Root to get children interested in coding. Children can make simple if-then statements using icons on an accompanying app, Square, and make the robot draw doodles and erase them afterwards. Root, that can crawl on a white board, aims at showing what coding can do in real-time.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:00 pm on 19 Apr

read more at Engadget

Users unlock their iPhone 80 times a day: Apple

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:30 pm on 19 Apr 2016,Tuesday

According to Apple, iPhone users on an average, unlock their mobile phones 80 times in a day. The company further said that around 89% of iPhone owners either use their fingerprint or a multi-digit numeric passcode to unlock their phones. The statistics were revealed by the company during a press conference on the iPhone's security.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:30 pm on 19 Apr

read more at The Verge

Facebook VP Mike Vernal joins Sequoia

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:26 pm on 19 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Mike Vernal, Facebook Vice President for over eight years, has resigned from his post to join Sequoia Capital as a venture capitalist. Before joining Facebook, Vernal, a Harvard University graduate, had spent nearly six years at Microsoft. Vernal will join ten other partners at Sequoia’s Menlo Park office in California.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:26 pm on 19 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

YouTube rolls out live streaming for 360° videos

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:30 pm on 19 Apr 2016,Tuesday

YouTube has rolled out support for live streaming of 360° videos on its platform. Through this, users can experience concerts, faraway locations and sports events in real-time. The company has also launched support for spatial audio for on-demand videos that allows users to listen along as they do in real life.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:30 pm on 19 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

DJI launches new drone for filmmakers

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:03 pm on 18 Apr 2016,Monday

Chinese technology company DJI has launched 'Matrice 600', a new $4,599 drone designed for filmmakers. The dust-proof drone has a range of five kilometres and supports a payload of up to six kilograms for lifting cameras used in filming. It also has a smart flight safety feature to self-adjust flight parameters automatically based on payloads.

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:03 pm on 18 Apr

read more at YouTube

Reliance Jio announces 8,100-km undersea cable

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:18 pm on 18 Apr 2016,Monday

Reliance Jio has announced the launch of an 8,100-kilometer undersea cable system called the Bay of Bengal Gateway (BBG). The cable will provide direct connectivity to South East Asia and the Middle East, then onward to Europe and Africa, from India through Chennai and Mumbai. Notably, Reliance Jio already owns and operates an undersea cable landing facility in Chennai.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:18 pm on 18 Apr

read more at Livemint

Game that can be played without unlocking iPhone

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:15 pm on 18 Apr 2016,Monday

iPhone users can play a game called ‘Steve – The Jumping Dinosaur Widget Game’ without unlocking their devices. Once installed, the game is added to an iPhone’s notification center, and can be played by swiping down the notification menu. It is currently more popular than Skype and Google Chrome in the 'free' category of the Apple App Store.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:15 pm on 18 Apr

read more at Re/code

Boeing secures patent for hacker-proof internet

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:32 pm on 18 Apr 2016,Monday

Boeing has secured a patent for a hacker-proof internet from the US patent office. Using quantum communication, Boeing has developed a technology that prevents intermediate servers from being hacked, thus disabling hackers from accessing any traffic passing through them. Further, once a hacked intermediate server is detected, all traffic is routed away from it.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:32 pm on 18 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Tesla CEO Elon Musk got $37,584 salary in 2015

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:26 pm on 18 Apr 2016,Monday

A filing by Tesla reveals that CEO Elon Musk had received $37,584 in salary in 2015, calculated according to California's minimum wage requirements. However, the company's Chief Financial Officer, Jason Wheeler received almost $21 million in salary. Notably, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had received a base salary of $1 in 2014.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:26 pm on 18 Apr

read more at Bloomberg

Zuckerberg shares idea of Facebook in 2005 video

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:40 pm on 18 Apr 2016,Monday

A video of an interview of Mark Zuckerberg in 2005 gives a glimpse of the Facebook CEO's idea about the social-networking site. Shot at Facebook’s Palo Alto office, the video shows Zuckerberg barefoot, wearing a white t-shirt with gym shorts and holding a cup of beer. "I think Facebook is an online directory for colleges", says Zuckerberg to the interviewer.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:40 pm on 18 Apr

read more at YouTube

LinkedIn launches app for college students

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:23 pm on 18 Apr 2016,Monday

LinkedIn has launched a new app, called LinkedIn Students, aimed at helping college students find a job. The app suggests companies and job roles based on the schools attended by users and the subjects they major in. Available in the US on Android and iOS, the app delivers career advice content and also lists alumni working at recommended companies.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:23 pm on 18 Apr

read more at VentureBeat

Greek startup develops smart pet collar

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:13 am on 18 Apr 2016,Monday

A Greece-based startup has developed 'Kyon', a smart pet collar that tracks pets' emotions, location and calls the owner in case the pet is lost. The collar also pacifies pets from entering into fights with the other pets. With battery life of a month in a single charge, it also alerts owners if their pet is drowning or feeling sick.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:13 am on 18 Apr

read more at YouTube

US startup develops smart bed for good sleep

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:55 pm on 17 Apr 2016,Sunday

A US-based startup has developed 'Balluga', a $1,199 smart bed that lets users have a good sleep by setting ideal temperature, adjusting firmness and providing a massage. Controlled through an app, the bed uses movement sensors to automatically light up during the night to provide visibility to the user. It also comes with anti-snoring system and 10 years of warranty.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:55 pm on 17 Apr

read more at YouTube

Samsonite makes device to securely track luggage

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:31 pm on 17 Apr 2016,Sunday

Samsonite has developed a beacon device called Track&Go that allows users to privately track their luggage. To execute this, the Bluetooth device, built into Samsonite suitcases, will use an open privacy/security protocol by Google called EIDs. Samsonite aims to launch the first suitcases featuring Track&Go in the European market by year end, followed by other international markets.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:31 pm on 17 Apr

read more at The Financial Express

YU launches Yureka Note phablet for ₹13,499

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:34 pm on 17 Apr 2016,Sunday

Micromax’s sub-brand YU has launched its Yureka Note phablet in India at ₹13,499. The 4G-enabled phone features a 6-inch full HD display, 3 GB of RAM, a 13 MP camera, a 4,000 mAh battery and is powered by an octa-core MediaTek processor. The dual-SIM device runs the Android 5.1 Lollipop OS and is available in offline retail stores.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:34 pm on 17 Apr

Apollo Hospitals collaborates with Google

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:09 pm on 17 Apr 2016,Sunday

Apollo Hospitals has collaborated with Google to provide health information under the latter's Health Card project. Health Card provides users with basic information about diseases on the Google search engine in a layman's language. Apollo has compiled information on 400 diseases for the same. The card explains a disease’s manifestations, symptoms, cause and risk factors, prevalence and diagnosis.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:09 pm on 17 Apr

read more at PTI

Man claiming to delete firm calls it 'a joke'

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:36 pm on 17 Apr 2016,Sunday

According to Italian publication Repubblica, Marco Marsala, who earlier claimed to have deleted his company by deploying a wrong code, has said "it was just a joke”. Marsala revealed that the story of his erased company was a viral marketing scheme for his startup. The coder added that the code "rm -rf" is harmless until used in the right situation.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:36 pm on 17 Apr

read more at The Next Web

New software to find security flaws in web apps

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:05 pm on 17 Apr 2016,Sunday

MIT researchers have developed a new software, written in web application framework 'Ruby on Rails', that can detect security flaws in web applications. In initial testing on 50 popular web applications written using Ruby on Rails, the software, which works by analyzing how data flows through an application, found 23 previously undiagnosed security flaws in less than 64 seconds.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:05 pm on 17 Apr

read more at ANI

Sikkim gets Northeast's fastest supercomputer

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:04 pm on 17 Apr 2016,Sunday

The north-eastern region of India has got its fastest supercomputer called PARAM Kanchenjunga. Housed at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Sikkim, the supercomputer sports a peak computing power of 15 Teraflops and is equipped with the latest Intel-based processor and accelerator technologies. It has been built at a cost of over ₹2 crore.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:04 pm on 17 Apr

read more at India Today

Yahoo launches app for Esports gaming platform

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:33 pm on 17 Apr 2016,Sunday

Yahoo has launched an Android app for its Esports gaming platform. The app currently covers the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, Heroes of the Storm, League of Legends and Street Fighter V games, with each game having its own page. Users can set reminders for matches, check real-time stats, watch live game streams and access news on a per-game basis.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:33 pm on 17 Apr

read more at Engadget

Apple makes Yellow iPad Pro for charity auction

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:56 pm on 17 Apr 2016,Sunday

Apple has designed a unique 12.9-inch iPad Pro for a charity auction at London’s Design Museum on April 28. The one-off iPad Pro features a yellow aluminum shell, and comes along a Smart Cover in French leather and an Apple Pencil with a leather-bound case. Auction partner Phillips anticipates that the limited-edition product will sell for between $14,200 and $21,300.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:56 pm on 17 Apr

read more at The Next Web

GoDaddy's CTO Murphy resigns to join Google

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:47 pm on 17 Apr 2016,Sunday

Elissa Murphy, the Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of web hosting company GoDaddy has reportedly resigned from her post to join Google. The resignation will be effective from May 17 this year. After Murphy's exit, her position will be taken over by Arne Josefsberg, GoDaddy’s Chief Information and Infrastructure Officer.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:47 pm on 17 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

FB testing News Feed with multiple news sections

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:50 pm on 17 Apr 2016,Sunday

Facebook is testing a revamp of its News Feed where it features multiple news sections like World & US, Sports, Food, Music and Animals & Pets. The sections appear at the bottom of the screen and are accessible by tapping or swiping left or right. Users can also edit the categories they’d like to see in the new mobile layout.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:50 pm on 17 Apr

read more at Mashable

China unveils new humanoid robot 'Jia Jia'

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:34 pm on 17 Apr 2016,Sunday

Researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China have unveiled 'Jia Jia', a new humanoid robot that can speak, show micro-expressions and move eyes and body. Programmed to recognise both human and machine interactions, the robot has autonomous navigation and offers services based on cloud technology. It took three years for the researchers to complete the robot.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:34 pm on 17 Apr

read more at YouTube

Smart ring lets users unlock doors, share data

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:04 am on 17 Apr 2016,Sunday

A Chinese startup has developed 'Jackom R3 Smart Ring', which acts as a smart ID card to unlock doors, smartphones, make payments and transfer data at 106 kbps. Connected through an app, the $19 ring also saves private information including accounts, schedule and memos. The waterproof and dust-proof ring is available in different sizes and does not require charging.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:04 am on 17 Apr

read more at YouTube

Engineers create tech to double Wi-Fi speed

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:06 am on 17 Apr 2016,Sunday

An Indian-origin engineer-led team in the US has developed a circuit that can double the speed of Wi-Fi. The circuit is based on 'full-duplex radio integrated circuits', meaning it can simultaneously transmit and receive signals using the same frequency, thereby doubling the capacity. Until now, receivers and transmitters either worked at different times or simultaneously at different frequencies.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:06 am on 17 Apr

read more at Daily Mail

Hoverboard that reaches 10,000 ft in air created

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:49 pm on 16 Apr 2016,Saturday

French jet ski champion Franky Zapata's firm has developed 'FlyBoard Air', a hoverboard that can reach up to 10,000 ft in the in air. The hoverboard claims to fly for about 10 minutes and achieves a top speed of 150 kilometres per hour. Controlled through a joystick-like device, it took four years for the company to make the hoverboard.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:49 pm on 16 Apr

read more at YouTube

Machine turns organic waste to compost in 24 hrs

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:39 pm on 16 Apr 2016,Saturday

Mumbai-based Excel Industries has developed 'Bioneer', a machine that claims to convert organic waste into compost in 24 hours. Available in four sizes, the machine with lowest capacity processes 100 kg of waste per day whereas the highest capacity machine processes 400 kg of waste a day. It is suitable for use in housing societies, corporations, kitchens and temple complexes.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:39 pm on 16 Apr

read more at The Better India

OnePlus launches smartphone exchange program

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:34 pm on 16 Apr 2016,Saturday

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus has collaborated with ReGlobe to launch a smartphone exchange program in India for its OnePlus One, OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X smartphones. Customers can exchange their older smartphones for a new OnePlus device for discounts of up to ₹16,000. Further, customers can avail these exchange and buyback offers at Amazon India.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:34 pm on 16 Apr

read more at VentureBeat

Google Hangouts lets users send video on Android

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:57 pm on 16 Apr 2016,Saturday

Google is rolling out an update to its Hangouts app on Android that allows users to record and share video attachments. However, the said videos can only be a minute long. The feature, that has been on iOS for about a month now, comes after three years of the app being launched on Android devices.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:57 pm on 16 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Shortened URLs can expose personal data: Study

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:15 pm on 16 Apr 2016,Saturday

Security researchers have discovered that shortened URLs can expose personal data like Google Drive files, Microsoft OneDrive files and mapping requests. They found that hackers can brute force abbreviated six-character web addresses, used by firms like Google, Microsoft and bit.ly, and break them by trial and error. This could also result in cloud storage accounts getting infected with malware.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:15 pm on 16 Apr

read more at Engadget

Electronic skin with digital display developed

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:52 pm on 16 Apr 2016,Saturday

Tokyo researchers have developed a super-thin e-skin that lights up a digital display on a user’s body. The ultra-stretchy e-skin is mounted with thin OLED displays and photosensitive diodes, that when hit with electrical pulses, light up to mimic pixels on a normal screen. This on-skin display can be used to provide information like heart rate and blood sugar.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:52 pm on 16 Apr

read more at The Verge

China ranks second in iOS revenues after US

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:28 pm on 16 Apr 2016,Saturday

According to App Store analytics firm App Annie, China has surpassed Japan to take the number two position in iOS revenues in Q1 2016, up from the third place in January. China is already the leader in terms of iOS downloads since 2015, influenced by the adoption of Apple's larger-screened devices. The list is topped by the United States.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:28 pm on 16 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

FBI utterly failed to prove it needs help: Apple

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:03 pm on 16 Apr 2016,Saturday

Apple has said that the FBI has “utterly failed” in proving that it has exhausted all alternative methods to unlock an iPhone. This comes in response to the US government's request of needing Apple's help in unlocking an iPhone seized in a Brooklyn drug case. Notably, the FBI has already unlocked the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone without Apple's help.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:03 pm on 16 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

App lets users try tattoos before getting inked

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:47 pm on 16 Apr 2016,Saturday

A Ukraine-based startup has developed 'Ink Hunter', an app that lets users try tattoos before getting it permanently inked on their skin. The app places a tattoo design from its collection or one uploaded by the user on the desired area of the body. It also delivers temporary tattoo stickers to its users.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:47 pm on 16 Apr

read more at Mashable

Pocket-sized foldable wireless keyboard made

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:18 am on 16 Apr 2016,Saturday

South Korea-based Woorin Corporation has developed 'Wekey Pocket', a pocket-sized foldable wireless keyboard with 6mm of thickness. Compatible with laptops, tablets and smartphones, the 95-gram waterproof keyboard can be used for two months at an average usage of two hours per day in a single charge. It also features special keys like camera, home and mail for mobile devices.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:18 am on 16 Apr

read more at YouTube

US advises Windows users to remove QuickTime

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:49 am on 16 Apr 2016,Saturday

The US government has recommended that Windows PC users should uninstall Apple's QuickTime video player after software security firm Trend Micro discovered new bugs in the software that could be exploited by hackers. The firm, however, said that it did not know of any cases where the bugs had been exploited. Reportedly, Apple has ended the support for the player.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 02:49 am on 16 Apr

read more at Reuters

Scientists develop flexible sheet camera

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:27 pm on 15 Apr 2016,Friday

A team led by an Indian-origin researcher from Columbia University have created a flexible sheet camera which, upon bending or wrapping around objects, can change its field of view. The team designed a flexible lens array made of silicone rubber that changes its focal length when the sheet is bent, enabling the camera to capture high-quality images.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:27 pm on 15 Apr

read more at YouTube

Man claims to have deleted firm with wrong code

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:29 pm on 15 Apr 2016,Friday

Marco Marsala, a man who runs a web hosting company, claimed to have accidentally deleted his company with data of over 1535 customers by typing a wrong code on his computer server. The code, “rm -rf” reportedly also blocked warnings that informs the user of any deletion. Everything got erased as the code didn't specify what Marsala wanted to delete.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:29 pm on 15 Apr

Edward Snowden creates techno song 'Exit'

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:11 pm on 15 Apr 2016,Friday

Edward Snowden has collaborated with French music producer Jean-Michel Jarre to create a song called ‘Exit’. Jarre describes the song as a “speedy techno track evoking the constant and hectic production of data and the obsessive quest for more information on everything and everybody.” The track will feature in Jarre’s upcoming album, and is available to stream and purchase digitally.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:11 pm on 15 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Apple expects an iPhone to last for three years

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:09 pm on 15 Apr 2016,Friday

Apple in an announcement has said that it expects its iPhones, iPads and Watches to be used for three years by their first owners. However, it expects its Macs and TVs to have a life span of four years. The assumed life expectancy of the devices helps Apple to assess the contribution of the company towards the greenhouse gas lifecycle.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:09 pm on 15 Apr

read more at The Guardian

Google allows Nexus users to design custom cases

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:24 pm on 15 Apr 2016,Friday

Google has launched a new service called ‘My Live Case’ that lets users create custom cases for their Nexus 5X, 6 and 6P phones. Users can upload any image or map they want to be printed on their phones, and further personalize them with design, filter and styling options. The end product will be delivered to the user for $35.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:24 pm on 15 Apr

read more at The Next Web

UNICEF makes virtual child from 500 real photos

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:20 pm on 15 Apr 2016,Friday

UNICEF has created 'Sofia', a 3D animated child using 500 photos of real children from emergency-hit areas to raise awareness about children affected by conflicts across the world. The virtual child was named 'Sofia' as it was reported the world's most popular name last year. The campaign aims to inspire people to become donors to UNICEF as "world parents."

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:20 pm on 15 Apr

read more at YouTube

Google launches free WiFi at 9 railway stations

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:55 pm on 15 Apr 2016,Friday

After Mumbai Central, Google has launched its free high-speed public WiFi service at nine more Indian railway stations including Pune, Bhubaneshwar, Bhopal, Ranchi, Raipur, Vijayawada, Kacheguda (Hyderabad), Ernakulam (Kochi) and Visakhapatnam. Google claims that the WiFi is fast enough to allow streaming of HD videos. Further, the company aims to expand the service to 100 stations by year end.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:55 pm on 15 Apr

read more at India Today

Smart mattress to detect cheating by partner

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:41 pm on 15 Apr 2016,Friday

Spanish mattress company Durmet claims to have created a smart mattress called ‘Smarttress' to detect cheating by a partner. It has a 'Lover Detection System' with 24 sensors which can capture 'suspicious bed movements' and send alerts to both bed owners when the mattress is used. The app can also track a range of statistics like speed, intensity and impact.

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:41 pm on 15 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Apple partners WWF to launch 'Apps for Earth'

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:24 pm on 15 Apr 2016,Friday

In a push for environment, Apple has collaborated with WWF for a 10-day campaign to launch ‘Apps for Earth’ on its App Store. The section features 27 exclusive apps, including Angry Birds 2 and Line, that are designed around the idea of conservation of forests, oceans, and wildlife. All proceeds from the app purchases will go to WWF.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:24 pm on 15 Apr

Canada cops had BBM encryption key since 2010

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:42 pm on 15 Apr 2016,Friday

The Canadian Police reportedly had access to BlackBerry Messenger conversations through the company's 'master encryption key' since 2010, according to recent court documents. The Canadian police during an investigation intercepted over 1 million messages sent through Blackberry Messenger between 2010 and 2012. However, the documents do not specify how the police obtained the key.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:42 pm on 15 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Apple to shut iTunes Allowance service for kids

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:24 pm on 15 Apr 2016,Friday

Apple is shutting down its iTunes Allowance service on May 25. iTunes Allowance automatically replenishes children's balance every month with a set amount, from $10 to $50. Apple has already stopped allowing new users to sign up for the feature. As an alternative, Apple suggests using Family Sharing, that gives up to six family members access to each other's purchases.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:24 pm on 15 Apr

read more at Engadget

Instagram launches video feed under Explore tab

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:20 pm on 15 Apr 2016,Friday

Instagram is rolling out video channels in its Explore section on Android and iOS. This will enable users to view a personalized channel called ‘Videos You Might Like’ and other ‘Featured’ video channels under the section. Explore connects users to posts they might be interested in from people they don’t yet follow. The feature is currently available in the US.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:20 pm on 15 Apr

read more at VentureBeat

Smart suitcase handle lets users make calls

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:52 am on 15 Apr 2016,Friday

A US-based startup has created 'Floatti', a $250 smart suitcase with touch-control and notification-enabled handle that lets users make phone calls. It has detachable mobile and laptop chargers and a strap to place additional baggage. The suitcase also features an in-built weighing scale and comes with anti-theft mechanism and tracking options.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:52 am on 15 Apr

read more at YouTube

Chip implants help paralysed man move his hand

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:01 am on 15 Apr 2016,Friday

Twenty-four-year-old American, Ian Burkhart, who was left paralysed five years back, has regained control over his right hand and fingers because of a chip that was implanted in his brain two years ago. The chip transmits Burkhart's thoughts to his hand muscles bypassing the spinal cord, making it the first time a paralysed patient regained body control through brain signals.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:01 am on 15 Apr

read more at Reuters

Tech to allow clothes transmit digital info

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:11 pm on 14 Apr 2016,Thursday

Scientists have developed a way to embroider circuits into fabrics with a precision of 0.1 mm, allowing clothes to gather, store and transmit digital information. Such e-textiles can lead to shirts that act as antennas for smartphones, workout clothes that monitor fitness levels, bandages that tell how well a wound is healing and caps that sense activity in the brain.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:11 pm on 14 Apr

read more at India Today

2gether app lets couples chat privately

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:39 pm on 14 Apr 2016,Thursday

Match-making portal BharatMatrimony has launched '2gether', an app that lets couples chat privately, make calls and exchange texts, emojis, pictures and videos. Users can also set reminders for important dates, share location with their partner and archive favourite moments as memories. The app claims that all of the information shared on its platform is encrypted.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:39 pm on 14 Apr

read more at Inc42

GoPro hires Apple's designer Danny Coster

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:08 pm on 14 Apr 2016,Thursday

GoPro has appointed Danny Coster, an industrial designer at Apple, as its VP of Design, effective April end. Coster, a core member of Apple since early 90s, has contributed to the iPhone 4, the iPad wireless keyboard and holds over 500 design patents. The executive switch has caused GoPro’s stock to jump to its highest level since mid-January.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:08 pm on 14 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Sharp launches robot phone at $1,800

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:57 pm on 14 Apr 2016,Thursday

Electronics maker Sharp's robot phone, Robohon will launch in Japan on May 26 at a price of over $1,800. The company has started taking pre-orders for the robot phone which has a 2-inch screen on its back and runs Android 5.0. The phone can walk, talk and dance, and an embedded projector inside its head can display photos and videos.

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:57 pm on 14 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Videocon launches Krypton V50DA and V50DC phones

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 06:36 pm on 14 Apr 2016,Thursday

Videocon on Wednesday launched the Krypton V50DA and V50DC smartphones in India for ₹5,999 and ₹6,099, respectively. Both the phones feature 5-inch displays, 1 GB of RAM, 3,000 mAh batteries, 1.3 GHz quad-core MetiaTek processors and run the Android 5.0 Lollipop operating systems. While the V50DA offers 5 MP/2 MP cameras, the V50DC sports 8 MP/5 MP cameras.

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 06:36 pm on 14 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

Microsoft's new app creates captions for photos

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:06 pm on 14 Apr 2016,Thursday

Microsoft has developed an artificial intelligence-powered app called CaptionBot that automatically writes captions for photos. Users can upload photos on the app and it writes descriptions for them in natural human language with an occasional emoji to represent human emotion. Notably, the app keeps learning as and when more photos are fed to it.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:06 pm on 14 Apr

read more at Engadget

WordPress adds share buttons for WhatsApp, Skype

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:44 pm on 14 Apr 2016,Thursday

Blogging website WordPress has updated its platform to include share buttons for WhatsApp, Telegram and Skype. Users have to manually integrate the new buttons into their blogs by clicking on the 'My Site' and then the 'Sharing' options on their dashboards. The platform already features share-button support for Twitter, Facebook and Reddit.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:44 pm on 14 Apr

read more at VentureBeat

New FB project aims at street-level connectivity

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:41 pm on 14 Apr 2016,Thursday

Aiming to provide cities with street-level internet connectivity, Facebook has announced a project called Terragraph. It is an antenna-based Wi-Fi delivery system that equips street lights and traffic signals with antennas that can deliver transmission rates up to 7 Gbps. Terragraph will use a 60 GHz frequency to deliver connectivity and the signal can travel about 200 to 250 meters.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:41 pm on 14 Apr

read more at Mashable

Micromax announces 19 products, unveils new logo

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:02 pm on 14 Apr 2016,Thursday

Domestic smartphone maker Micromax on Wednesday announced that the company will launch 19 new products, including smartphones, LED TVs and tablets. The brand has also unveiled a new logo and introduced its own e-store. On the smartphone front, the company launched the Canvas 6 and Canvas 6 Pro priced at ₹13,999.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:02 pm on 14 Apr

read more at India Today

LG launches K7 and K10 smartphones in India

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 04:44 pm on 14 Apr 2016,Thursday

LG has launched the K7 and K10 smartphones in India at ₹9,500 and ₹13,500, respectively. K7 offers a 5" display, 1.5 GB of RAM, 5 MP/5 MP cameras and is powered by a 1.1 GHz quad-core processor. K10 features a 5.3" HD display, 2 GB of RAM, 13 MP/5 MP cameras and is powered by a 1.14 GHz octa-core processor.

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 04:44 pm on 14 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

CREO launches Mark 1 smartphone for ₹19,999

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:37 pm on 14 Apr 2016,Thursday

Bengaluru-based CREO has launched its first smartphone, Mark 1, for ₹19,999. The phone features a 5.5-inch QHD display, 3 GB of RAM, 21 MP/8 MP cameras, a 3,100 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.95 GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio X10 processor. It runs the brand’s proprietary Android-based Fuel OS which will be updated monthly based on suggestions from users.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:37 pm on 14 Apr

read more at India Today

Kindle Oasis launched in India at ₹23,999

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:37 pm on 14 Apr 2016,Thursday

Amazon on Thursday launched the new Kindle Oasis in India priced at ₹23,999 for Wi-Fi-enabled model and ₹27,999 for the Wi-Fi plus 3G model. It is the thinnest and lightest model of Kindle with a 6-inch high resolution display and 4 GB of storage capacity. Available for pre-order on Amazon, the device will start shipping from April 27 this year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:37 pm on 14 Apr

Google Maps to alert users of traffic conditions

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:28 pm on 14 Apr 2016,Thursday

Google Maps on Thursday updated its app to help users avoid jams by alerting them of traffic conditions and find the most ideal route to their destination with the least delays. While navigating, users will get spoken alert for upcoming traffic conditions and the time till the traffic will persist. Users will also get an option to take alternate routes.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:28 pm on 14 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

Smart vest lets dogs post pics on social media

short by Twishy Shahi / 10:16 pm on 13 Apr 2016,Wednesday

A camera-equipped vest called 'The Posting Tail' has been created that can take pictures of a dog and automatically upload them to the pet's social media. The vest can sense when a dog is happy, based on the speed of tail wag, and clicks a picture. Fitted with GPS, it can track a picture's location and the favourite dog spots.

short by Twishy Shahi / 10:16 pm on 13 Apr

read more at YouTube

Startup makes app-connected gym equipment

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:33 pm on 13 Apr 2016,Wednesday

A Hong Kong-based startup has created Move It, an app-connected personal gym equipment for fitness training. The device has four parts and a set of Bluetooth-enabled handles that connects to each of the four parts for different workouts. The workout information is displayed on the app, and the training progress can also be shared with friends.

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:33 pm on 13 Apr

read more at YouTube

Wildcraft launches GPS tracking wearable

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:59 pm on 13 Apr 2016,Wednesday

Bangalore-based gear, apparel and footwear company Wildcraft has launched a GPS tracking wearable device called Spot. The device, which can monitor location with an accuracy of up to 10 meters, functions through a SIM card and features an SOS button to send alerts in case of an emergency. The device is available on the company website for ₹5,995.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:59 pm on 13 Apr

read more at Inc42

Google Calendar update helps meet personal goals

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:26 pm on 13 Apr 2016,Wednesday

Google Calendar has launched a new feature called Goals that uses machine learning to help users set personal goals. To set up goals, users need to select a category, such as 'Exercise', 'Build a Skill' or 'Me Time', and then a specific activity. The Calendar will then automatically find open slots, fill them with the goals and send reminders.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:26 pm on 13 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Facebook unveils its open source VR camera

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:23 pm on 13 Apr 2016,Wednesday

At the F8 conference on Tuesday, Facebook unveiled 'Surround 360', a 3D Virtual Reality (VR) camera featuring 17 four-megapixel lenses that can shoot in 4K, 6K and 8K resolution. Instead of selling the camera, the company will put the hardware designs and video stitching algorithms on Github. All the parts of the device can be bought online for $30,000.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:23 pm on 13 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Google starts warning users of deceptive ads

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:17 am on 13 Apr 2016,Wednesday

Google on Tuesday said that it will start flagging and warning users when they encounter websites with deceptive 'social engineering' advertisements. These are the ads that try to trick users into installing malicious software or revealing personal information. The company will also penalize the sites that use deceptive ads or users who work with such sites.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:17 am on 13 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

App wants users to spend less time on phones

short by Twishy Shahi / 11:45 pm on 12 Apr 2016,Tuesday

England-based developers have built an iOS app named Glued which rewards users for spending less time on their smartphones. It maintains a leaderboard tracking how much time a user spends on the phone and shares it with families and friends. Nick, Nicole and their son Finn developed the app seeing the need for it in their own family.

short by Twishy Shahi / 11:45 pm on 12 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Facebook launches bot platform for Messenger

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:39 pm on 12 Apr 2016,Tuesday

At the F8 developer conference on Tuesday, Facebook announced a bot platform that allows developers to build chatbots for Messenger. A Messenger bot has the ability to perform actions like sending links, showing images and providing detailed descriptions of products and services. The company also announced that it has opened up its live streaming API for developers.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:39 pm on 12 Apr

read more at The Verge

Lytro unveils 755 MP, 40K resolution camera

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:04 pm on 12 Apr 2016,Tuesday

US-based Lytro has introduced 'Lytro Cinema', a camera that can capture images in 755 megapixels in RAW and 40K resolution, and videos in 300 frames-per-second. The technology separates objects in a picture by depth and stores them in a 3D grid, creating a 'depth screen' that allows filmmakers to capture green screen shots without actually placing a background green screen.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:04 pm on 12 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

HTC 10 flagship smartphone launched

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 10:12 pm on 12 Apr 2016,Tuesday

HTC on Tuesday unveiled its latest top-tier smartphone called 10. This is the world’s first smartphone to boast of an optical image stabilizer (OIS) for front and rear cameras. It features a 5.2" display, 4 GB of RAM, a 12 ultrapixel rear camera and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor. It'll start shipping in select countries by May.

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 10:12 pm on 12 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

Startup creates belt to control body temperature

short by Twishy Shahi / 09:29 pm on 12 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Based on a US Navy technology, a startup has created an adjustable belt strap called MiClimate which can be worn around the waist to control body temperature. The small vents within the belt direct heated or cooled air to the user's body. With a four-hour battery life, the device can cool down 10°C and heat up 20°C from ambient temperature.

short by Twishy Shahi / 09:29 pm on 12 Apr

read more at YouTube

New Google app allows voice-control over devices

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:59 pm on 12 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Google has announced the beta launch of Voice Access, an app that allows people to use speech recognition to control Android devices. Users can say ‘open Chrome’ or ‘go home’ to navigate around the phone, or interact with the screen by saying ‘click next’ or ‘scroll down'. The app has been designed keeping in mind people with disabilities like paralysis.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:59 pm on 12 Apr

read more at VentureBeat

FB Messenger allows users to share Dropbox files

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:16 pm on 12 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Facebook Messenger has added Dropbox support, allowing users to share Dropbox files directly in their Messenger conversations. This is the first time Messenger has partnered with a cloud-based file sharing service. While photos and videos will appear instantly in-chat, non-visual files will be linked to the Dropbox mobile app. This will prevent Facebook from hosting PowerPoints and PDFs.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:16 pm on 12 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Unified payments interface launched

short by Arjun Bhatia / 03:06 pm on 12 Apr 2016,Tuesday

National Payments Corporation of India’s (NPCI) Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was on Monday launched by RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan. UPI would allow users to integrate different bank accounts on a unified mobile application and transfer funds using a single identifier, eliminating the exchange of sensitive financial information during transactions. Presently, 19 banks have partnered with NPCI.

short by Arjun Bhatia / 03:06 pm on 12 Apr

read more at The Financial Express

PC sales at lowest quarterly level since 2007

short by Arjun Bhatia / 01:15 pm on 12 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Global personal-computer shipments declined for the sixth consecutive quarter to drop to their lowest level since 2007. In the quarter ended March, sales fell 11.5% year-on-year to 60.6 million units according to International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates and 9.6% to 64.8 million units according to research firm Gartner. Lenovo remained the world’s top PC vendor, followed by HP and Dell.

short by Arjun Bhatia / 01:15 pm on 12 Apr

read more at Bloomberg

Doctors treat heart patient based on Fitbit data

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:53 pm on 11 Apr 2016,Monday

Doctors in New Jersey decided to shock a 42-year-old patient’s heart back to rhythm based on his Fitbit data. The fitness tracker confirmed his abnormal heart rate occurred around the same time he had a seizure, based on which an electrical cardioversion was performed. This marks the first known time a fitness tracker was used in a direct medical procedure.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:53 pm on 11 Apr

read more at Engadget

Smart apartment with moveable walls created

short by Twishy Shahi / 09:41 pm on 11 Apr 2016,Monday

Hong Kong-based LAAB architects has converted a 309-square-foot apartment into a smart transformable home with guest bedroom, kitchen, bathtub, home theatre and gym. Spaces open and close according to the user’s needs at a particular time, wherein a space that holds a bathtub in the morning becomes a bedroom at night. The entire house was built within tolerances of 3mm.

short by Twishy Shahi / 09:41 pm on 11 Apr

read more at YouTube

Lenovo launches Ideapad 100s laptop for ₹14,990

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 08:33 pm on 11 Apr 2016,Monday

Lenovo on Monday launched the Ideapad 100s, a Windows 10-powered laptop, priced at ₹14,990. The laptop features an 11.6" display, 2 GB of RAM and is powered by a 1.83 GHz Intel processor. It sports 32 GB of memory, promises eight hours of battery life and is available exclusively on Snapdeal.

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 08:33 pm on 11 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

Karbonn launches smartphones with VR headsets

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:20 pm on 11 Apr 2016,Monday

Karbonn on Monday launched the Quattro L52 and Titanium Mach Six smartphones for ₹8,790 and ₹7,490, respectively. The phones come bundled with the brand's own VR headsets and have been pre-loaded with VR curated games, apps and videos. The devices feature 2 GB of RAM, 8 MP cameras and are powered by 1.3 GHz quad-core processors.

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:20 pm on 11 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

US tops Global Connectivity Index 2016

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:20 pm on 11 Apr 2016,Monday

According to a Huawei report, the US topped the Global Connectivity Index 2016. Singapore and Sweden were ranked second and third, respectively. The report measures the progress of 50 nations, divided into three groups of starters, adopters and frontrunners, in investment and deployment of information and communications technology. India, which was placed in the starters category, was ranked 44th.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:20 pm on 11 Apr

Lenovo launches PHAB Android phablet for ₹11,999

short by Deeksha Koli / 06:39 pm on 11 Apr 2016,Monday

Lenovo has launched its PHAB Android phablet in India for ₹11,999. The 4G-enabled device sports a 6.98" HD display, 2 GB of RAM, 13 MP/5 MP cameras, a 4,250 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor. The dual-SIM phablet will be available exclusively on Flipkart via flash sales starting April 21.

short by Deeksha Koli / 06:39 pm on 11 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

Huawei Watch smartwatch launched for ₹22,999

short by Deeksha Koli / 06:30 pm on 11 Apr 2016,Monday

Huawei has launched the Huawei Watch in India for ₹22,999. The smartwatch features a 1.4-inch display, 512 MB of RAM, a 300 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm processor. It sports a heart-rate sensor, IP67-certification for water and dust resistance and fitness tracking features. It is available on Flipkart and offline stores in three colour variants.

short by Deeksha Koli / 06:30 pm on 11 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

18-rotor helicopter takes its 1st manned flight

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:23 pm on 11 Apr 2016,Monday

The first certified 18-rotor electric helicopter, called the Volocopter VC200, has completed its first manned test flight. Developed by Germany-based E-Volo, the multicopter is a fuel-free drone-like vehicle that does not need constant monitoring to be airborne. The helicopter hits top speed at 60 mph and aims at becoming a semi-affordable personal transport.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:23 pm on 11 Apr

read more at Engadget

Govt activates Aadhaar based IT appeal e-filing

short by Aditya Kashyap / 04:32 pm on 11 Apr 2016,Monday

The Income Tax Department has activated Aadhaar and net banking-based e-filing verification system for taxpayers to file the first appeal before a tax officer, similar to the online filing of Income Tax Returns. Under this, the electronic verification code to validate the appeal forms would be generated using the Aadhaar database or the net banking identity of the filer.

short by Aditya Kashyap / 04:32 pm on 11 Apr

read more at PTI

Smart spray turns photos into street art

short by Jatan Desai / 04:28 pm on 11 Apr 2016,Monday

Researchers have developed a spray-paint can system that robotically reproduces photographs as large-scale murals, by being waved around the canvas. By tracking the can using a PC, two webcams and QR codes, the system uses spray to replicate the photograph. The method, applicable only on flat surfaces currently, could be useful for creating building-sized artwork if adapted for non-flat surfaces.

short by Jatan Desai / 04:28 pm on 11 Apr

read more at Engadget

BSNL testing WiFi network in 1 lakh panchayats

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:26 pm on 11 Apr 2016,Monday

BSNL is testing a WiFi-based network to connect about one lakh village panchayats with high-speed internet by year end. Under this, a wireless network over six kilometres has been set up in three villages of Rajasthan, where 500 test connections have been provided to various users including schools. Domestic telecom equipment maker Vihaan Networks is implementing the project for BSNL.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:26 pm on 11 Apr

read more at PTI

Italian firm designs internet-connected sofa

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:37 pm on 10 Apr 2016,Sunday

Italy-based design firm Carlo Ratti Associati has designed 'Lift-Bit', which it claims to be the world's first internet-connected sofa that can be controlled through a tablet or a hand gesture. The sofa is made up of a number of motorised modular sections or stools that can be moved around, raised or lowered to create different seating positions.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:37 pm on 10 Apr

read more at Wired

New method to display information on packaging

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:47 pm on 10 Apr 2016,Sunday

UK-based researchers in collaboration with technology company Novalia has created a new method to display information on packaging, using an electronic screen. The process involves printing electronic tracks onto paper and then fixing low-cost electronics and a polymer LED display to the paper. The technology can be used in products where a customer could receive simple messages, researchers said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:47 pm on 10 Apr

read more at The Financial Express

Govt to involve private sector in cyber security

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:45 pm on 10 Apr 2016,Sunday

The government has decided to involve private sector domain experts in tackling cyber crime through proactive monitoring. For this, the interested organisations need to showcase their expertise in the cyber security domain on April 12 and 19. Earlier, the government had said that a ₹400-crore cyber crime control hub would be set up to check cyber crime and child pornography.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:45 pm on 10 Apr

read more at The Financial Express

Illegal arms being sold on FB in Libya: Reports

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:07 pm on 10 Apr 2016,Sunday

According to media reports, social media networks like Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram are being used for trading illegal weapons in Libya. Sellers register under fake names to sell arms including AK-47s, truck-mounted machine guns and shoulder-launched rocket systems. Notably, Facebook banned private sales of weapons in January this year, and also made it easy for users to report violations.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:07 pm on 10 Apr

read more at The Verge

Micromax launches digital wallet app Udio

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:18 pm on 10 Apr 2016,Sunday

Micromax, in partnership with Visa and TranServ, has launched a native digital wallet app called Udio. Besides being usable online, the wallet can also be used offline at mVisa-enabled stores. mVisa is a card-to-merchant payment service where users can scan QR codes to make payments. Micromax is also working on enabling contactless payments via NFC on its future smartphones.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:18 pm on 10 Apr

BlackBerry to launch two Android phones in 2016

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:34 pm on 10 Apr 2016,Sunday

According to BlackBerry CEO John Chen, the company will launch two new mid-range Android smartphones this year, one with a physical keyboard and one with a touchscreen. Chen also admitted that BlackBerry Priv, the company’s first Android phone, “was too high-end a product”. Notably, the BlackBerry Priv, launched in January 2016, costs ₹62,999 in India.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:34 pm on 10 Apr

Microsoft launches Hub Keyboard app on iOS

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:10 pm on 10 Apr 2016,Sunday

Microsoft has launched its Hub Keyboard app on iOS that aims at incorporating all relevant information in one place. Users can search their contacts and documents directly from the third-party keyboard and insert their last copied text in a single tap. Launched on Android in February, it comes with Office 365 integration, is free to download and doesn't feature emojis.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:10 pm on 10 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Lava announces MS Dhoni as its brand ambassador

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:25 pm on 10 Apr 2016,Sunday

Domestic mobile manufacturer Lava International has announced Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni as its brand ambassador. Dhoni said, “In a highly competitive mobile handset market, Lava... differentiates itself through… high quality products and services”. Rival Micromax has Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman as it's brand ambassador while Intex has Farhan Akhtar promoting it's Aqua smartphones.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:25 pm on 10 Apr

read more at Twitter

FB unveils Snapchat-like scannable profile codes

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:57 pm on 10 Apr 2016,Sunday

Facebook has launched Messenger Codes, a series of dots and dashes circling a profile picture that can be scanned to directly start chatting with someone on Messenger. The feature is similar to Snapchat’s Snapcodes. Facebook has also launched Messenger Links, short profile URLs located at m.me/[username]. Typing in a friend's Facebook username after m.me/ will lead to his Messenger profile.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:57 pm on 10 Apr

read more at Mashable

Implantable chip that monitors brain activity

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:16 am on 10 Apr 2016,Sunday

Australia-based researchers have teamed up with IBM to develop an implantable computer chip capable of monitoring a patient's brain activity. Researchers hope to predict epileptic seizures in patients using this technology. A recent test run, where the chip was tasked with analyzing brain waves to guess with which hand did the patient squeeze a ball, tallied a 76% accuracy rating.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:16 am on 10 Apr

read more at Engadget

Maha to put all major public services online

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:39 pm on 09 Apr 2016,Saturday

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday that the state government will put all major public services online this year. He added, “[W]e will be launching a mobile application and a payment gateway where people can pay (for government services)". Fadnavis said 150 public-related services have already been taken online, and 100 more will be added by October end.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:39 pm on 09 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Giphy launches Mac app to record HD-quality GIFs

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:20 pm on 09 Apr 2016,Saturday

Search engine for GIF images, Giphy has launched a Mac app named 'Giphy Capture' that allows users to record anything on their desktop and turn it into an HD-quality GIF for free. It features a resizable window that can be dragged over the area to be covered. The app also allows cropping the GIF and adding a caption.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:20 pm on 09 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Adobe issues emergency update to Flash software

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:53 pm on 09 Apr 2016,Saturday

Adobe has issued an emergency update to its Flash software for internet browsers after researchers discovered a security flaw leading to ransomware attacks. Ransomware encrypts data, locks up computers, and demands payments ranging from $200 to $600 to unlock each infected PC. Adobe urged its over 1 billion Flash users on Windows, Mac, Chrome and Linux to update the product.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:53 pm on 09 Apr

read more at VentureBeat

App for Apple Watch judges emotions via voices

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:37 pm on 09 Apr 2016,Saturday

Tokyo-based Smartmedical has launched an app for the Apple Watch that identifies and tracks users’ emotions through their voices. Called EmoWatch, the app analyses pitch, volume and speed of users’ voices to understand their energy levels and judge emotions like anger, calmness, joy or sorrow. EmoWatch works with any language as it only detects vocal characteristics, not meanings.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:37 pm on 09 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Alphabet-owned firm unveils new two-legged robot

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:44 pm on 09 Apr 2016,Saturday

Alphabet-owned Schaft has unveiled a new two-legged robot in Tokyo that has rigid legs that slide up and down like rails, and no arms. The robot can lift without bending, climb stairs and carry payloads of up to 60 kilograms. It is also shown navigating a forest floor, rocky beach, snowy field, and even vacuuming stairs with its feet.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:44 pm on 09 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

WordPress adds HTTPS encryption for all websites

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:32 pm on 09 Apr 2016,Saturday

WordPress, a platform that allows creating websites, has rolled out HTTPS encryption support for all the custom domains hosted on its platform. HTTPS, a protocol for secure communication over a computer network, would be enabled automatically on all the websites. The websites will also be provided with an SSL certificate, for establishing encrypted links between a browser and web servers.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:32 pm on 09 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Apple asked to unlock iPhone in NY drug case

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:24 pm on 09 Apr 2016,Saturday

The US government has asked Apple to help the FBI unlock an iPhone seized in the Brooklyn drug case. However, the government must first justify that only Apple can unlock the iPhone. The filing comes after the FBI Director acknowledged that the third party approach used in the San Bernardino case, could not be used on modern versions of iPhone.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:24 pm on 09 Apr

read more at Re/code

Japan plans to test fingerprints as currency

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:18 pm on 09 Apr 2016,Saturday

The Japanese government is set to begin testing a system that would allow foreign tourists to verify their identities and purchase goods and services using a fingerprint. The experiment would feature fingerprint scanners at popular tourist centers including souvenir shops, restaurants, hotels and other establishments. The government aims to launch it by the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:18 pm on 09 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Advent launches EchoPhonz BT500 wireless headset

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:50 pm on 09 Apr 2016,Saturday

Advent has launched the EchoPhonz BT500 Bluetooth headset in India for ₹1,999. The wireless headset features a built-in mic, comes with Bluetooth version 3.0 support and offers a range of up to 8-10 metres. It sports a built-in FM Radio, a microSD slot of up to 16 GB and comes with a playback time of 4-6 hours.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:50 pm on 09 Apr

FB allows verified pages to share branded posts

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:14 pm on 09 Apr 2016,Saturday

Facebook on Friday started allowing verified pages to share branded content on its platform. Verified pages are usually owned by big brands, publishers and celebrities. They can also tag the sponsor in a branded content post. Facebook describes branded content as any post, with text, Instant Articles, 360° videos and Live Videos, that specifically features a third-party product or brand.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:14 pm on 09 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Twitter acquires employee feedback startup Peer

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:52 pm on 09 Apr 2016,Saturday

Twitter on Thursday acquired Peer, an employee and manager feedback tool launched by former Salesforce COO George Hu in 2015. Peer allows employees to monitor their performance continuously and send real-time comments and performance reviews directly to one another. The company has been reportedly shut down following the Twitter deal.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:52 pm on 09 Apr

read more at VentureBeat

SpaceX makes its first-ever sea landing

short by Twishy Shahi / 01:45 pm on 09 Apr 2016,Saturday

Elon Musk-owned company SpaceX on Friday successfully landed the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket on a drone ship at sea, after launching it to the International Space Station. It's the first time SpaceX has been able to pull off an ocean landing, after four failed attempts. With this, SpaceX has landed its rockets both on ground and ocean.

short by Twishy Shahi / 01:45 pm on 09 Apr

read more at YouTube

Facebook acquired Instagram on this day

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:06 am on 09 Apr 2016,Saturday

Facebook acquired photo-sharing platform Instagram on April 9, 2012, for $1 billion in cash and stock. Initially, Facebook planned to keep both companies separate, but later joined the two databases. At the time of the purchase, Instagram, founded in 2010 by Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom, was close to 50 million users. The deal was finalised on September 6, 2012.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:06 am on 09 Apr

read more at Google

Microsoft Translator iOS app adds offline assist

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:13 pm on 08 Apr 2016,Friday

Microsoft has announced that its Microsoft Translator app for iOS can now translate text and images from one language to another even when users are offline. The company said "users can get near online-quality translations" when not connected to the internet. Notably, Google Translate does not feature offline support in iOS, while both the apps feature offline support in Android.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:13 pm on 08 Apr

read more at VentureBeat

Smriti Irani launches web portal to help authors

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:55 pm on 08 Apr 2016,Friday

Union HRD Minster Smriti Irani has launched a web portal to simplify the process of registration and allotment of International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs). ISBN is a unique 13-digit number used to identify books, displayed in bar-code format. Publishing houses and authors can now procure ISBNs within a week, where earlier the process used to take a few months.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:55 pm on 08 Apr

read more at PTI

Phicomm launches Clue 630 smartphone for ₹3,999

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:23 pm on 08 Apr 2016,Friday

Phicomm on Friday launched the Clue 630 smartphone in India for ₹3,999. The 4G-enabled phone offers a 5" display, 1 GB of RAM, 5 MP/2 MP cameras, a 2,300 mAh battery and is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor. The dual-SIM phone runs the Android 5.1 Lollipop OS and is available exclusively on Snapdeal.

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:23 pm on 08 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

New bill introduced for on-demand decryption

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:07 pm on 08 Apr 2016,Friday

US Senators on Friday introduced a new bill that would require smartphone manufacturers to decrypt data if demanded by the law enforcement agencies. If the bill becomes a law, any hard encryption — encryption that cannot be broken by the provider — would be in violation of the proposed measures. President Barack Obama has reportedly declined to support the bill.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:07 pm on 08 Apr

read more at The Verge

App-only bank with no branches to launch in UK

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:53 pm on 08 Apr 2016,Friday

Atom Bank has become the UK’s first app-only bank, with zero branches and call centers. Users can log-in through face and voice recognition and personalize the app by giving it their own names and logos. Its first products are a one-year and a two-year fixed saver offerings at an interest rate of 2% and 2.2%, respectively.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:53 pm on 08 Apr

read more at The Guardian

Google launches Android Studio 2.0

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:25 pm on 08 Apr 2016,Friday

Google on Thursday launched Android Studio 2.0, the latest version of its Integrated Development Environment. The new features include 'Instant Run' – which quickly reflects the code changes on the running app, 'Cloud Test Lab' – which allows app testing across multiple devices, and 'App Indexing' – which helps in promoting app's visibility in Google Search by adding auto-generated URLs.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:25 pm on 08 Apr

read more at VentureBeat

Microsoft brings code snippets to Bing search

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:15 pm on 08 Apr 2016,Friday

Microsoft has partnered with HackerRank, a competitive programming website founded by NIT Trichy alumni, to bring sample code snippets into its Bing search results pages. It supports multiple languages and lets users edit and execute the sample codes. HackerRank Co-founder Vivek Ravisankar said that the project currently features over 80 code snippets focussed on the most commonly searched terms.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:15 pm on 08 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

FB enters hyperlocal services market in India

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:13 pm on 08 Apr 2016,Friday

Facebook has entered the hyperlocal services market in India, listing over 80 local service providers and their respective phone numbers and work timings. Available at facebook.com/services, the platform lists services including plumbing, pet care, beauty and spa, medical, financial and automotive. This puts Facebook in direct competition with the likes of Housejoy, QuikrServices and UrbanClap.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:13 pm on 08 Apr

read more at Facebook

Apple launches iPhone SE in India at ₹39,000

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:58 pm on 08 Apr 2016,Friday

Apple on Friday launched its latest iPhone SE in India. The phone’s 16 GB variant costs ₹39,000, while the 64 GB variant costs ₹49,000. It features a 4-inch display, 12 MP/1.2 MP cameras with Live Photo support, 4K video recording and is powered by A9 processor. It is available in space grey, silver white, champagne gold and rose gold colours.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:58 pm on 08 Apr

read more at India Today

Music video controlled by heartbeat created

short by Twishy Shahi / 09:47 am on 08 Apr 2016,Friday

In a first of its kind, #Almostforgot is a heartbeat controlled music video by artist J Views. Users can place their finger over the back camera lens of the iPhone and the video uses a technology that analyses subtle changes in the skin complexion with each heartbeat. The song fluctuates in speed with the pulse while producing synchronised visuals.

short by Twishy Shahi / 09:47 am on 08 Apr

read more at YouTube

Algorithm recreates artist's style in new art

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:35 pm on 07 Apr 2016,Thursday

A Netherlands-based team of art historians, scientists, engineers and data analysts have recreated the style of a 17th-century Dutch painter Rembrandt in a new piece of art using computer data. The team analyzed 300 of his known paintings to create an algorithm and then fed the data to a 3D printer, that created the 148-million-pixel painting using paint-based UV ink.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:35 pm on 07 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Researchers store, recover digital data from DNA

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:08 pm on 07 Apr 2016,Thursday

University of Washington and Microsoft researchers have created one of the first complete systems to encode, store and recover digital data from DNA molecules. This storage process can help in storing information millions of times more compactly than current archival technologies, like flash drives and hard drives. It can also preserve digital information for centuries without degrading it.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:08 pm on 07 Apr

read more at Phys

Reddit introduces new blocking tool

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:04 pm on 07 Apr 2016,Thursday

Reddit on Wednesday introduced a new 'Block user' button that allows users to hide private messages, replies and comments from other Reddit users. The feature does not actually prevent blocked users from replying but hides their replies from the users who blocked them. However, admins and moderators of any subreddit would be able to see all the messages and replies.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:04 pm on 07 Apr

read more at Engadget

Researchers make world's smallest diode

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:02 pm on 07 Apr 2016,Thursday

American researchers have developed the world's smallest diode using a DNA molecule. The used DNA molecule had 11 base pairs, as compared to 3 billion pairs that are present in a human genome. A diode is a component that conducts electricity primarily in one direction and has low (ideally zero) resistance. This advancement could eventually lead to more nanoscale electronics.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:02 pm on 07 Apr

read more at Engadget

New desktop-based service for streaming torrents

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:58 pm on 07 Apr 2016,Thursday

A new desktop-based torrent streaming service, WebTorrent Desktop was recently launched in beta version for Windows, MacOS and Linux. The service allows users to stream torrents of videos, music and ebooks straight from the browser. The service includes the option to skip forward and backwards when downloads are still incomplete, and also supports Chromecast and AirPlay.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:58 pm on 07 Apr

read more at The Next Web

DataWind launches i3G7 tablet for ₹5,999

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 08:45 pm on 07 Apr 2016,Thursday

DataWind on Thursday launched the i3G7 tablet in India for ₹5,999. The dual-SIM tablet supports voice calling, a 7-inch display, 1 GB of RAM, 2 MP/0.3 MP cameras, a 2,800 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core Intel X3 processor. Notably, this is DataWind’s first tablet to be powered by an Intel processor.

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 08:45 pm on 07 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

SurveyMonkey launches app analytics platform

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:27 pm on 07 Apr 2016,Thursday

SurveyMonkey has launched a mobile app insight platform called SurveyMonkey Intelligence. It tracks information like active weekly and monthly users, user engagement, leaderboards based on various metrics, audience demographics, and download and revenue numbers. The platform runs on a freemium model, with users receiving up to 14 days of data, along with limited metrics, at the basic level.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:27 pm on 07 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Panasonic launches Eluga Arc phone for ₹12,490

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:25 pm on 07 Apr 2016,Thursday

Panasonic launched the Eluga Arc smartphone in India for ₹12,490 on Thursday. The smartphone features a fingerprint sensor, a 4.7" HD display, 2 GB of RAM, 8 MP/5 MP cameras, a 1,800 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor. Further, the 4G-enabled phone runs the Android 5.1.1 Lollipop OS.

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:25 pm on 07 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

Microsoft launches Lumia 650 Dual SIM at ₹15,299

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:08 pm on 07 Apr 2016,Thursday

Microsoft on Thursday launched the Lumia 650 Dual SIM smartphone in India for ₹15,299. The phone offers a 5" HD display, 1 GB of RAM, 8 MP/5 MP cameras, a 2,000 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 processor. The 4G-enabled device will be available across channels in the country.

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:08 pm on 07 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

Reddit launches its first official mobile app

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:57 pm on 07 Apr 2016,Thursday

Reddit on Thursday launched its first official mobile app on Android and iOS in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. The app sports standard features like inline images, support for themes, threaded comments and messaging tools. So far, Reddit's official mobile client was a third-party iOS app called Alien Blue, which is now being removed from Apple App Store.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:57 pm on 07 Apr

read more at The Next Web

YouTube Gaming app launches in India

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:49 pm on 07 Apr 2016,Thursday

YouTube on Thursday launched its 'YouTube Gaming' iOS and Android apps in India. The app features all gaming related videos, including gameplays, cheat codes and live streaming, that are uploaded on YouTube. Over 25,000 games have their own dedicated pages on the app. It also allows users to record and live stream mobile gameplay on-the-go directly from their Android devices.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:49 pm on 07 Apr

read more at Trak.in

iPad Pro 9.7-inch launched in India at ₹49,900

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:20 pm on 07 Apr 2016,Thursday

Apple on Thursday launched its latest iPad Pro 9.7-inch tablet in India starting at ₹49,900. The tablet comes in three storage variants of 32 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB, which are available in Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular options. It features Retina display, an A9X processor, 12 MP/5 MP cameras, 4K video recording and blue-light reduction for night use.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:20 pm on 07 Apr

read more at India Today

New Domino's app orders pizza when opened

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:57 pm on 07 Apr 2016,Thursday

Domino’s has launched an app that automatically orders pizza when opened. Initially, users have to set an ‘Easy Order’ option on the app, something they would order regularly enough, after which the zero-click app will order the said pizza every time someone opens it. The app also provides a 10-second countdown in case a user wants to cancel the order.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:57 pm on 07 Apr

read more at The Verge

VR camera Orah 4i lets users live stream videos

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:43 pm on 07 Apr 2016,Thursday

VideoStitch has launched Orah 4i, a tiny 4K virtual reality (VR) camera that supports live streaming, enabling users to produce full 360° videos in real-time. It aims for users to capture and directly broadcast videos on platforms like YouTube and Facebook. Generally, VR cameras require users to take out memory cards and do postproduction work to stitch spherical videos together.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:43 pm on 07 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Facebook adds dedicated video section to its app

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:33 pm on 06 Apr 2016,Wednesday

Facebook on Wednesday launched a dedicated video section for live broadcasting and watching live and recorded videos in its mobile app. It will be rolled out on iOS and Android in the coming weeks. The release would come with several other features such as live reactions, live videos in group and a live map of current broadcasts around the world.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:33 pm on 06 Apr

read more at VentureBeat

MIT prints 3D robots made of solids and liquids

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:29 pm on 06 Apr 2016,Wednesday

MIT researchers have created a technique for 3D printing robots that involves printing solid and liquid materials simultaneously. In the process, an inkjet printer deposits layers of drops of different materials, less than half the width of a human hair, from the bottom up. To demonstrate, researchers printed a 6-inch hexapod robot and a silicone-rubber robotic hand with fluid-actuated fingers.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:29 pm on 06 Apr

read more at YouTube

$399 iPhone SE costs $160 to make: Report

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:39 pm on 06 Apr 2016,Wednesday

As per research firm IHS, the approximate cost to build and assemble iPhone SE sold for $399 is $160. The US version of the iPhone SE 16 GB carries a bill of materials of $156.20, which increases to $160.00 after adding manufacturing cost. Apple makes $89 in incremental profit for each 64 GB model compared to the 16 GB variant.

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:39 pm on 06 Apr

read more at Re/code

Drone startup to deliver medicines in Rwanda

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:35 pm on 06 Apr 2016,Wednesday

California-based drone startup Zipline International, will begin delivering vital medical supplies and blood to remote clinics in the African nation of Rwanda. The drone can carry load of up to 1.58 kg and has a roundtrip range of 12 km. Monitored through a tablet, the drone will drop the cargo with the help of a parachute in the clinic premises.

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:35 pm on 06 Apr

read more at YouTube

Samsung patents eye lenses with built-in camera

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:04 pm on 06 Apr 2016,Wednesday

According to reports by Samsung-focused blog SamMobile, Samsung was granted a patent in South Korea for smart contact lenses embedded with a built-in camera, a display, antennas and sensors to detect eye movement. The antennas then beam the acquired data to external smartphone-like devices for processing. The company reportedly developed the lenses to offer improved augmented reality experience.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:04 pm on 06 Apr

read more at Mashable

Panama Papers hacked by servers abroad: Fonseca

short by Chhavi Tyagi / 01:24 pm on 06 Apr 2016,Wednesday

Ramon Fonseca, one of the founders of law firm Mossack Fonseca, has claimed that the company, which is under the scanner over "Panama Papers" leak, was hacked by servers abroad. Further stating that the firm has lodged a criminal complaint about the breach, he added, "nobody is talking about the hack, and that's the only crime that has been committed".

short by Chhavi Tyagi / 01:24 pm on 06 Apr

read more at PTI

WhatsApp rolls out full encryption for its users

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:53 pm on 05 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp has fully implemented end-to-end encryption on its platform. End-to-end encryption means the content of communications is not stored in plaintext on WhatsApp's servers. Nor is the company able to decrypt users’ messages to access them since it does not hold the encryption keys. This comes after the recently ended controversy between the FBI and Apple.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:53 pm on 05 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Xiaomi to launch Mi Pad Transformers

short by Twishy Shahi / 10:53 pm on 05 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Chinese gadget maker Xiaomi has collaborated with US-based toy maker Hasbro to create Mi Pad Transformers Special Edition Sonic. With just 7mm slim, and 30-step folding, the Mi Pad can transform into a Transformer-like robot. Launched as a crowdfunding project in China, the robot is priced at 169 Yuan ($26) and will begin shipping first in China starting May 13.

short by Twishy Shahi / 10:53 pm on 05 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Dubai to deploy drones to catch people littering

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:52 pm on 05 Apr 2016,Tuesday

The Waste Management Department of the Dubai Municipality has confirmed that it plans to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles to police the city's litterers. The drones will monitor beaches, desert and waste dump sites for sanitation law violators. Currently, only one drone is in operation, with two additional drones to be added later in the year.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:52 pm on 05 Apr

read more at Mashable

HP unveils world's thinnest laptop

short by Dishant Sharma / 08:55 pm on 05 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Hewlett-Packard (HP) on Tuesday unveiled the new Spectre 13 laptop. The notebook, which has been touted as the world's thinnest notebook, is 10.4 millimeters thick and weighs 1.1 kg. The notebook features a 13.3-inch Gorilla Glass screen, a 9.45 hour-long battery life and upto 8 GB of RAM. The cost of the Spectre 13 ranges from $1,170 to $1,250.

short by Dishant Sharma / 08:55 pm on 05 Apr

read more at VentureBeat

FB's new tool helps blind users interpret photos

short by Twishy Shahi / 08:00 pm on 05 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Facebook has launched a tool for iOS that can help visually-impaired English-speaking users understand what’s featured in the photos posted on the platform. People using screen readers on iOS will hear a basic description of items in a photo. In the past, users could only hear the name of the person who shared the photo, followed by the term photo.

short by Twishy Shahi / 08:00 pm on 05 Apr

read more at Engadget

vivo V3 and V3 Max launched in India

short by Deeksha Koli / 06:13 pm on 05 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Chinese smartphone-maker vivo launched the V3 and V3 Max on Tuesday for ₹17,980 and ₹23,980 respectively. While the 5-inch V3 comes powered by a Snapdragon 616 processor and 3 GB of RAM, the 5.5-inch V3 Max sports Snapdragon 652 processor, aided by 4 GB of RAM. Both the phones sport fingerprint sensors and will go on sale later in April.

short by Deeksha Koli / 06:13 pm on 05 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

Google launches Android Auto in India

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:02 pm on 05 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Google has launched Android Auto, its in-car operating system, in eighteen new countries, including India, making it the biggest international roll out for the service. Android Auto lets users connect their smartphones and control apps from their cars’ screens. The service is now available in 29 countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Panama, Russia, Switzerland and Venezuela, among others.

short by Twishy Shahi / 06:02 pm on 05 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

OPPO F1 Plus with 16 MP selfie camera launched

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:29 pm on 05 Apr 2016,Tuesday

OPPO launched the selfie-centric smartphone F1 Plus in India for ₹26,990, on Tuesday. The smartphone sports a 5.5-inch FHD display, MediaTek Helio P10 processor, 4 GB RAM, 12 MP/16 MP cameras and a 2,850 mAh battery. The OPPO F1 Plus will be available in mid-April in Gold and Rose Gold colour options.

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:29 pm on 05 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

Google search to provide basic healthcare info

short by Twishy Shahi / 04:17 pm on 05 Apr 2016,Tuesday

Google has started rolling out healthcare information in India in the Knowledge Graph, providing data of over 400 health conditions in English and Hindi. Google Search will display additional information when a user searches about common health conditions, highlighting typical symptoms, whether it's contagious, what ages it affects, and more. Users can download the instructions in PDF also.

short by Twishy Shahi / 04:17 pm on 05 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

Taliban app removed from Google Play Store

short by Twishy Shahi / 10:21 pm on 04 Apr 2016,Monday

Google has removed a Taliban-developed app called Alemarah from the Play store, two days after it was discovered by SITE Intel Group. The app gave access to Taliban videos and statements in Pashto language, as part of a growing digital campaign by the group. The Taliban also has a website in five languages with active presence on Twitter and Facebook.

short by Twishy Shahi / 10:21 pm on 04 Apr

read more at The Next Web

BBM update allows users to retract messages

short by Twishy Shahi / 10:19 pm on 04 Apr 2016,Monday

BlackBerry has launched a BBM update allowing unlimited access to Retract and Timer, formerly a part of BBM subscription. With Retract, users can retract messages and pictures from recipients in case they were mistakenly sent, or were to be made inaccessible. Also, users can set a timer to control how long contacts can view messages and pictures.

short by Twishy Shahi / 10:19 pm on 04 Apr

read more at The Verge

Xiaomi to host Mi festival on April 6

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:38 pm on 04 Apr 2016,Monday

On the occasion of its sixth birthday, Xiaomi is hosting a Mi festival on its India website on April 6. It will offer the Mi 5 on flash sale, along with the Redmi Note 3, and 20,000 mAh Mi Power Bank. Accessories including Mi In-Ear Headphones Pro, Mi USB cable and Mi LED Light Enhanced will also be sold.

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:38 pm on 04 Apr

read more at Mashable

Blue Origin posts video of rocket's 3rd flight

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:10 pm on 04 Apr 2016,Monday

Blue Origin, the space flight company created by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has released a video showing the launch and landing of the reusable New Shepard rocket, which successfully made its third flight. The engine restarted at 3,635 feet above ground level "and ramped fast for a successful landing," the company stated. It reached 339,178 feet at its highest point.

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:10 pm on 04 Apr

read more at YouTube

ASUS ZenFone Go 5.0 LTE launched for ₹7,999

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:07 pm on 04 Apr 2016,Monday

Expanding its range of ZenFone series smartphones in India, ASUS launched the ZenFone Go 5.0 LTE for ₹7,999 on Monday. The smartphone sports a 5" HD display, Snapdragon 410 CPU, 2 GB RAM, 8 MP/5 MP cameras and a 2,500 mAh battery. Available in Pearl White and Charcoal Black colour variants, the phone is up for grabs on Amazon India.

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:07 pm on 04 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

Startup makes device to turn window blinds smart

short by Twishy Shahi / 09:28 pm on 03 Apr 2016,Sunday

A US-based startup has created a solar-powered device called FlipFlic that adjusts window blinds based on sunlight, temperature, or schedule set in the app. It can be attached to the blinds magnetically and the temperature sensor triggers opening and closing if it gets too hot or cold. The light sensor detects indoor light levels and manages daylight and night automations.

short by Twishy Shahi / 09:28 pm on 03 Apr

read more at YouTube

FCC to provide internet access subsidy for poor

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:50 pm on 03 Apr 2016,Sunday

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Saturday passed a proposed expansion of the 'Lifeline' program for low-income Americans, wherein they will be provided with broadband and voice services at $9.25 per month. With a proposed yearly budget of $2.25 billion, the program will offer 500 MB of monthly 3G data, which will be increased to 1 GB by December 2017.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:50 pm on 03 Apr

read more at Mashable

Man builds Scarlett Johansson look-alike robot

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:53 pm on 03 Apr 2016,Sunday

Hong Kong-based product and graphic designer Ricky Ma has unveiled a female robot prototype called Mark I, resembling Hollywood celebrity Scarlett Johansson. Built with 3D-printed parts and silicone skin, it responds to a set of programmed verbal commands. It can also make facial expressions such as a smile or a wink and make statements like “Hehe” and “Thank you.”

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:53 pm on 03 Apr

read more at YouTube

China surpasses US in new patent filings: Report

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:31 pm on 03 Apr 2016,Sunday

According to the 2015 edition of the World Intellectual Property Indicators, China has topped the list in the number of new patent applications in 2014. Patent offices received the highest number of applications from China at 9,28,177, followed by the US at 5,78,802 and Japan at 3,25,989. Innovators filed 2.7 million patent applications worldwide in 2014, up 4.5% from 2013.

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:31 pm on 03 Apr

read more at Forbes

OnePlus X price slashed to ₹14,999 in India

short by Twishy Shahi / 04:44 pm on 03 Apr 2016,Sunday

OnePlus on Saturday announced a price cut of ₹2,000 on OnePlus X in India. The OnePlus X Onyx Edition will now be available for ₹14,999 on Amazon. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor coupled with 3 GB RAM. Launched in October 2015, OnePlus X was earlier available through the invite-only system, which was later removed in February.

short by Twishy Shahi / 04:44 pm on 03 Apr

read more at India Today

FBI assures to help authorities unlock devices

short by Twishy Shahi / 04:37 pm on 03 Apr 2016,Sunday

As per a Reuters report, the FBI has assured law enforcement agencies across the United States that it'll help them crack encrypted devices involved in investigations as long as it's allowed by law and policy. The letter came after the Justice Department dropped its lawsuit against Apple as the FBI successfully unlocked San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone through an alternative method.

short by Twishy Shahi / 04:37 pm on 03 Apr

read more at Reuters

Security flaw found in US visa database: Report

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:00 am on 03 Apr 2016,Sunday

According to ABC News reports, security vulnerabilities were found in a US State Department system that could have allowed hackers to access visa applications database. The vulnerabilities, originated from legacy computer systems, compromised over half-billion records. However, no breach had been detected. The department learned about the risk after an internal review was done several months ago.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:00 am on 03 Apr

read more at Reuters

Blue Origin's reusable rocket makes 3rd flight

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:54 am on 03 Apr 2016,Sunday

Spaceflight company Blue Origin on Saturday successfully launched and landed its reusable Shepard rocket for the third time, after it was successfully launched and landed once in November and then in January. Notably, this was the company's first test flight which was publicly announced prior to launch. Co-founder Jeff Bezos said that the launch footage will soon be released.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:54 am on 03 Apr

read more at The Verge

Apple releases short film on autistic teen

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:55 am on 03 Apr 2016,Sunday

Apple has created a short film starring a non-verbal and autistic teen named Dillan Barmache to celebrate Autism Acceptance Month. The film called 'Dillan’s Voice' shows how the teen is able to communicate with the help of an iPad and an augmented and alternative communication app. Notably, Dillan also delivered his school's graduation speech with the help of these tools.

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:55 am on 03 Apr

read more at YouTube

Apple updates Siri's response to sexual assaults

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:02 pm on 02 Apr 2016,Saturday

Apple has updated Siri to respond to statements involving sexual abuse and other personal emergencies. The update came after a study published in a journal found that digital assistant apps including Siri, Cortana, Google Now, and S Voice responded "inconsistently and incompletely" to serious mental health issues and violence despite being the first mode of finding information for many.

short by Twishy Shahi / 07:02 pm on 02 Apr

read more at Daily Mail

Apple flew pirate flag on its 40th anniversary

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:38 pm on 02 Apr 2016,Saturday

To commemorate the company's 40th anniversary, Apple hoisted a special pirate flag outside of its campus in Cupertino, California, on April 1. The flag, which was originally hoisted by the first-generation Mac team in 1983, was a reference to a quote by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, "It's better to be a pirate than join the navy".

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:38 pm on 02 Apr

read more at Mashable

Google kills Gmail 'mic drop' April Fools' joke

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:22 pm on 02 Apr 2016,Saturday

Google has pulled back and apologised for its Gmail 'mic drop' feature that it launched on the April Fools' day. The new feature added a secondary 'Send' button to the web interface, which would exchange a humorous GIF with the thread's participants. It also muted the chain so that the user could not see any follow-up emails in the thread.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:22 pm on 02 Apr

read more at Engadget

Microsoft allows Skype integration into apps

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:24 pm on 02 Apr 2016,Saturday

Microsoft on Friday unveiled the 'Skype Web SDK' and 'Skype for Business App SDK', that would allow developers to integrate Skype's capabilities into their own applications. The Web SDK allows building a real-time collaboration of chat, audio and video among others into their browser-based apps, while the Business App SDK will bring Skype into a business's iOS and Android apps.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:24 pm on 02 Apr

read more at TechCrunch

App allows reporting crime anonymously

short by Tanaya Singh / 11:57 am on 02 Apr 2016,Saturday

CitizenCOP, an app developed by an Indore-based engineer Rakesh Jain, allows users to report crimes, municipal issues, and other complaints without revealing their identity. The app, released in 2013, is aimed at bridging the gap between police and citizens. CitizenCOP works in collaboration with the police and is fully operational in 25 cities including Noida, Navi Mumbai, and Varanasi.

short by Tanaya Singh / 11:57 am on 02 Apr

read more at The Better India

Tab launched with Aadhaar authentication support

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 09:37 pm on 01 Apr 2016,Friday

Mumbai-based Datamini has launched the TPOS7 Janunnati Pad tablet priced between ₹13,000 and ₹20,000. It is the first tablet in India to support a fingerprint sensor for Aadhaar card authentication, allowing it to be used for government initiatives like Jan Dhan Yojana. It sports a 7-inch display, an Intel x5 processor, 2 GB of RAM and 5 MP/2 MP cameras.

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 09:37 pm on 01 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

NASA to offer virtual tour of Mars via HoloLens

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:12 pm on 01 Apr 2016,Friday

NASA, in collaboration with Microsoft, has created ‘Destination: Mars’, a mixed-reality project that will offer visitors at the Kennedy Space Center a guided tour of Mars using the HoloLens headset. Further, the virtual tour will be conducted by a hologram of Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin. NASA’s Curiosity rover, stationed on Mars since 2012, provided the data for the project.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:12 pm on 01 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Samsung update lets it troubleshoot remotely

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:07 pm on 01 Apr 2016,Friday

Samsung has rolled-out an update for its 'Samsung+' app, which allows it to troubleshoot users' smartphones, provide assistance and fix software issues remotely. The feature is available only for Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge handsets as of now. The app will also keep track of the state of the device, log diagnostic information and will offer an archive of FAQs.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:07 pm on 01 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Reliance Digital launches three 4K LED smart TVs

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:47 pm on 01 Apr 2016,Friday

Reliance Digital on Friday launched three 4K LED smart TVs under its LYF brand. The 43-inch LYU4301S, the 50-inch LYU5001S and the 65-inch LYU6501S TVs are priced at ₹65,990, ₹84,990 and ₹199,990 respectively. They run the Android 4.4 KitKat OS and feature two 8W speakers, three HDMI ports, three USB ports, Wi-Fi, screen mirroring and multi-sharing support.

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:47 pm on 01 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

MIT develops programming language for bacteria

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:22 pm on 01 Apr 2016,Friday

MIT engineers have created a programming language that enables designing DNA-encoded circuits to give specific functions to the 'E. coli' bacteria. To achieve this, computing elements like logic gates and sensors were designed and encoded in the bacteria's DNA. The researchers plan to make the language's interface, which does not require genetic engineering knowledge to use, available on the web.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:22 pm on 01 Apr

read more at MIT News

Celkon launches Diamond 4G Plus phone for ₹6,369

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:20 pm on 01 Apr 2016,Friday

Celkon launched the Diamond 4G Plus smartphone for ₹6,369 on Friday. The dual-SIM phone sports a 5" HD IPS display, 1 GB of RAM, 8 MP/3.2 MP cameras, a 2,200 mAh battery and is powered by a 64-bit quad-core MediaTek processor. It runs the Android 5.1 Lollipop OS and is available on Amazon India, Flipkart and Paytm.

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:20 pm on 01 Apr

read more at 91mobiles

Apple was established on this day

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:05 pm on 01 Apr 2016,Friday

The multinational technology company Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. Initially launched to develop and sell personal computers, Apple’s core products now include the iPhone, the iPad, the iPod and the Macintosh computer. Apple is the world's largest information technology company by revenue, and has 475 retail stores in seventeen countries.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:05 pm on 01 Apr

read more at This Day in Tech History

Amsterdam-based firm develops smart e-bike

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:47 pm on 01 Apr 2016,Friday

Amsterdam-based VanMoof has developed a smart e-bike called the Electrified S. The internet-connected bike features a 250 W electric motor, a GPS and a touch screen for controlling speed. Users can also lock up the bike, turn its lights on or adjust its speed from their smartphones. Further, the bike can cover 75 miles on a full charge.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:47 pm on 01 Apr

read more at The Next Web

Gmail was launched on this day

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:40 pm on 01 Apr 2016,Friday

Google’s e-mail service Gmail was launched in an invitation-only beta version on April 1, 2004. Launched with 1 GB of storage capacity per user and a search-oriented interface, Gmail in 2014 became the first app on the Google Play Store to hit one billion installations. The launch was initially met with skepticism due to it falling on April Fool’s Day.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:40 pm on 01 Apr

read more at This Day in Tech History

Google Photos launches emoji search

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:07 pm on 01 Apr 2016,Friday

Google has launched emoji search to its Photos app on the web, Android and iOS. Users can now search photos by copy-pasting different emojis in the search bar, and the app will return images with matching results. The company said in a blog post that sometimes "searching with a full word just doesn't cut it".

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:07 pm on 01 Apr

read more at The Next Web

North Korea blocks Facebook, Twitter and YouTube

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 05:07 pm on 01 Apr 2016,Friday

North Korea has officially announced that it is blocking Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, South Korean and "sex and adult" websites. The government has named the websites as specific examples of what it is blocking “for a certain period of time.” Reportedly, Facebook and Twitter have been informally blocked in the nation for months, and North Koreans can access the government-sanctioned intranet.

short by Aarushi Maheshwari / 05:07 pm on 01 Apr

Viacom18 launches video-on-demand service VOOT

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:30 pm on 01 Apr 2016,Friday

Viacom18 has launched a video-on-demand (VoD) service called VOOT. The platform will offer around 17,000 hours of content from Colors, Colors Infinitely, Rishtey, MTV and Nick Jr, among others. In direct competition with Hotstar, Sony LIV, OZEE and Netflix, VOOT will also offer six web original series featuring Bollywood personalities including Gulshan Grover, Baba Sehgal and Alok Nath.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:30 pm on 01 Apr

read more at India Today

Mobile app providing power related info launched

short by Anupama K / 03:59 pm on 01 Apr 2016,Friday

Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday launched a mobile application 'Vidyut PRAVAH - Electricity Price & Availability Highlights' that provides information on electricity availability, demand, shortage, and prices. The app will help common people in demanding 24x7 power from their states and will make the state governments more accountable, said the minister.

short by Anupama K / 03:59 pm on 01 Apr

read more at India Today

Tesla unveils its first mass market car Model 3

short by Nihal Thondepu / 02:31 pm on 01 Apr 2016,Friday

Electric carmaker Tesla Motors on Friday unveiled the Model 3 sedan car and opened pre-bookings in several new markets including India. The car supports autopilot safety features, can cover 215 miles on a full charge and can go from 0 to 60 mph in six seconds. Tesla's first mass-market car, it will reportedly be launched in 2017 for $35,000.

short by Nihal Thondepu / 02:31 pm on 01 Apr

read more at The Financial Express

MIT creates technology for password-free Wi-Fi

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:57 am on 01 Apr 2016,Friday

MIT researchers have developed a system called Chronos that enables Wi-Fi access points to locate users without external sensors. The system can help in developing password-free Wi-Fi technology. A user's location is determined by calculating the time taken by the data to travel from user to the access point. The system was found to determine users' location with 97% accuracy.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:57 am on 01 Apr

read more at MIT News

New smartphone software diagnoses ear infections

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:37 am on 01 Apr 2016,Friday

Swedish researchers have developed an image-processing technique to diagnose ear infections using smartphones and the cloud. The software first uploads the images of the eardrum to the cloud and then compares them with a high-resolution archive of images to search for predefined visual features. According to the published study, the auto-generated diagnoses had an accuracy of 80.6%.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:37 am on 01 Apr

read more at Firstpost

'Mi5' among top Google trends today

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:25 pm on 31 Mar 2016,Thursday

Chinese electronics company Xiaomi launched its flagship smartphone 'Mi5' in India at ₹24,999 on Thursday following which the handset was among the most trending Google searches in India. It was most looked up in Manipur, Mizoram, Haryana and Meghalaya. 'Live Score', 'Kolkata News', 'Reliance Jio' and 'Samsung J3' were some of the other trending searches on the same day.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:25 pm on 31 Mar

read more at Google

Xiaomi launches Mi 5 in India at ₹24,999

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:56 pm on 31 Mar 2016,Thursday

Xiaomi on Thursday launched its flagship smartphone Mi 5 in India at ₹24,999, offering 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. It runs Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor and features a 5.15-inch HD display, 16 MP camera and a 3000 mAh battery. The first sale of the device will take place on April 6 on Xiaomi's website.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:56 pm on 31 Mar

Seagate unveils USB-powered 8 TB external HD

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:30 pm on 31 Mar 2016,Thursday

American data storage company Seagate has unveiled a USB-powered 8 TB external hard drive called Innov8, which it claims is the first such drive of this size that does not require a dedicated power source. Seagate Innov8, which will be available starting April for $349, includes 200 GB of Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage enabling accessibility to files from any device.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:30 pm on 31 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Microsoft to bring Bash shell to Windows

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:57 am on 31 Mar 2016,Thursday

Microsoft on Wednesday announced that it will bring GNU project's Unix-like command line user interface 'Bash shell' to Windows. The release would let developers execute Bash scripts and Linux command-line tools on Windows. For this, Microsoft collaborated with Canonical, the creator of Ubuntu Linux, and built a new Linux-like infrastructure called 'Windows Subsystem for Linux' within Windows.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:57 am on 31 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Microsoft allows Xbox One to turn into dev kit

short by Shankar Venkatraman / 05:09 am on 31 Mar 2016,Thursday

Microsoft on Wednesday announced the Xbox Dev Mode, a feature which allows any Xbox One console to convert into a game development kit. The new mode allows developers to self-publish digital games onto the console, as they'll be provided access to SDKs, middlewares and other required documentation. Further, the company also announced the support of Cortana for Xbox One.

short by Shankar Venkatraman / 05:09 am on 31 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Microsoft releases Bot Framework for developers

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:47 am on 31 Mar 2016,Thursday

Microsoft on Wednesday released a Bot Framework – a platform for developers to develop and integrate intelligent bots into their own apps. The company demonstrated the new system by assembling a chatbot and showing how a conversational interface could replace the existing system. It also made a portfolio of its 22 APIs called 'Cognitive Micro Services' available for the developers.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:47 am on 31 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Skype to get HoloLens, Cortana support

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:20 am on 31 Mar 2016,Thursday

Microsoft on Wednesday announced that it is bringing its digital assistant Cortana into Skype, allowing users to carry out activities like scheduling calendar appointments or booking flight tickets from within the application. The company also announced that it is developing a version of Skype for its augmented reality headset HoloLens, enabling the users to connect with friends using the headset.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:20 am on 31 Mar

read more at Engadget

Snapchat adds stickers & audio, video notes

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:28 pm on 30 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Snapchat on Tuesday rolled out an update adding more than 200 stickers and featuring audio and video calling and notes. The audio and video notes allow users to send short audio and video snippets of up to 10 seconds. The new release also allows sending multiple photos at a time and switching between audio and video calls during a conversation.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:28 pm on 30 Mar

read more at The Verge

Gionee announces new flip phone with 2 displays

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:40 pm on 30 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Chinese phone manufacturer Gionee on Tuesday announced its new flip phone W909, featuring two 4.2-inch 720p displays and a regular numpad, which will be launched in China at around ₹41,000. It offers 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of expandable internal storage and sports a 16 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera, fingerprint sensor and a 2,530 mAh battery.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:40 pm on 30 Mar

read more at Tech2

Twitter update allows adding image descriptions

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:11 am on 30 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Micro-blogging website Twitter on Tuesday announced a new feature wherein users would be able to add descriptions, known as "alternative text", to images. The new feature could provide visually impaired people a chance to hear what an image is about. For using the new feature, users need to enable the option "compose image descriptions" from the app's accessibility settings.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:11 am on 30 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Bottle created that decomposes once empty

short by Prashanti Moktan / 07:50 am on 30 Mar 2016,Wednesday

A biodegradable bottle which disappears as soon as the user finishes its content has been developed by Ari Jónsson, a product design student at the Iceland Academy of the Arts. Jónsson made the biodegradable water bottle out of algae, which shrinks and decomposes once it is emptied. He said that he created the product to replace plastic products.

short by Prashanti Moktan / 07:50 am on 30 Mar

read more at India Today

Instagram increases video length limit to 60 sec

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:56 am on 30 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Instagram on Tuesday announced that it is increasing the video length limit to 60 seconds for regular users. The new feature, which was released for advertisers two months back, will be available to everyone in coming months. For iOS platform, the company also rolled out a new feature that allows making videos out of multiple clips from the camera roll.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:56 am on 30 Mar

read more at The Verge

Parrikar flags off 1st indigenous sonar dome

short by Ankur Vyas / 12:26 am on 30 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday flagged off India's first indigenously built composites sonar dome, a ship's underwater eyes and ears. It has been designed and produced by a DRDO lab in Pune and manufactured by Goa-based Kineco. The sonar dome is fitted over the sonar array so that its electronics and sensors are not exposed to surrounding hostile environment.

short by Ankur Vyas / 12:26 am on 30 Mar

Switzerland to host world's 1st cyborg Olympics

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:41 pm on 29 Mar 2016,Tuesday

The world’s first cyborg Olympics will be held in October this year in Switzerland. Named Cybathlon, it aims to bring together technology developers and people with disabilities and make available robotic tools to a broad public. About 80 teams are expected at the event which is being organized by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:41 pm on 29 Mar

read more at The Next Web

India ranks third in financial Trojan infections

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:54 pm on 29 Mar 2016,Tuesday

According to Symantec, India ranks third among countries with the most number of financial Trojan infections, after the US and Germany. Financial Trojans are used to defraud customers of online banking. India has consistently moved up the rankings for countries with the most number of financial Trojan infections, from the seventh position in 2013 to the third position in 2015.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:54 pm on 29 Mar

read more at India Today

FB Messenger plans in-store purchase: Reports

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:27 pm on 29 Mar 2016,Tuesday

According to reports, Facebook Messenger is planning to launch in-store purchase service on its platform. This was revealed through comments in the code of the iPhone version of the app. It also hints at a “secret chats” feature, which is suspected to be a reference to encrypted chats. Users might also get the option to sync calendars in the app.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:27 pm on 29 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Garmin launches Fenix 3 smartwatch for ₹84,999

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:15 pm on 29 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Garmin launched its Fenix 3 Sapphire Rose Gold smartwatch in India on Tuesday for ₹84,999. The smartwatch offers advanced activity tracking including cross-country, alpine skiing, snowboarding, hiking, climbing and trail running. It is water resistant up to depths of 100 meters, and features a 1.2-inch sunlight-readable display, a barometer and a three-axis compass with auto calibration.

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:15 pm on 29 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Intex launches Cloud Gem+ smartphone for ₹3,299

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:01 pm on 29 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Intex on Tuesday launched the Cloud Gem+ smartphone in India for ₹3,299. The dual-SIM phone features a 4" display, 2 MP/2 MP cameras, 512 MB of RAM, a 1,400 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek processor. The device runs the Android 5.1 Lollipop OS and is available exclusively on Snapdeal in two colour variants.

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:01 pm on 29 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Samsung, Yamaha develop smart windshield concept

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:44 pm on 29 Mar 2016,Tuesday

The Italian subsidiaries of Samsung and Yamaha have recently developed a smart windshield concept for motorcycles that displays important information including speed and directions, and also allows users to place calls and send texts. The technology uses a smartphone application and a small projector that shines the specified information onto the windshield of a motorcycle or a scooter.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:44 pm on 29 Mar

read more at YouTube

Govt plans to allow landline calls from WhatsApp

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:32 pm on 29 Mar 2016,Tuesday

The government is planning to enable users to make landline calls from WhatsApp, Skype and Viber. An inter-ministerial panel of the government will discuss the integration of these online services with internet service providers (ISPs) and telecom operators. An official said, “The move has been cleared by the inter-ministerial telecom commission and groundwork to get it going will start soon.”

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:32 pm on 29 Mar

read more at Trak.in

US firm unveils supersonic aeroplane design

short by Tanaya Singh / 06:27 pm on 29 Mar 2016,Tuesday

A Denver-based aviation company Boom, founded by Blake Scholl, has unveiled its design for supersonic aeroplane in an attempt to bring back supersonic commercial air travel at an affordable price. The supersonic flight can make it possible to cut down the flying time from Delhi to New York to five hours, as opposed to the current 14 hours.

short by Tanaya Singh / 06:27 pm on 29 Mar

read more at The Better India

Smart bottle keeps wine fresh for 30 days

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:44 pm on 29 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Boston-based startup Kuvée has developed a smart wine bottle that keeps wine fresh for 30 days. The 750 ml bottle features a rechargeable touchscreen that displays the history of the wine, suggests food pairings, estimates how much wine is left and provides personalised wine recommendations. Priced between $15 and $50, Kuvée has also raised $6 million in funding.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:44 pm on 29 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

FBI unlocks iPhone without Apple, lawsuit ends

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:41 pm on 29 Mar 2016,Tuesday

The US Justice Department has dropped its lawsuit against Apple as the FBI has successfully unlocked the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone via an unknown alternative method. Earlier, Apple was ordered to unlock the iPhone, but it refused to do so citing privacy concerns. Apple said, “People…deserve data protection, security and privacy. Sacrificing one for the other puts…countries at greater risk.”

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:41 pm on 29 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Gamer turns lipstick into Counter-Strike weapon

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:24 pm on 28 Mar 2016,Monday

Gamer Chloe Desmoineaux has turned a tube of lipstick into a trigger for playing the popular first-person shooter video game Counter-Strike. The lipstick is connected to the computer using a Makey Makey kit, that enables users to turn everyday objects into touchpads, and acts as a weapon trigger when raised to the lips. Notably, Desmoineaux calls the new game Lipstrike.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:24 pm on 28 Mar

read more at Engadget

Samsung accidentally reveals Galaxy S7 Active

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:21 pm on 28 Mar 2016,Monday

Samsung has accidentally revealed the existence of the new Galaxy S7 Active smartphone. Samsung Level, an app that enables users to control headphones through smartphones, has listed the previously unknown phone in its Google Play Store description. Active variants are rugged versions of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S series, that support added features like waterproofing and rubber cases.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:21 pm on 28 Mar

read more at Engadget

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:51 pm on 28 Mar 2016,Monday

A special committee formed by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has recommended a 6-8% tax on 13 B2B online activities as an e-commerce levy. These activities include sending and receiving emails, downloading content, blogging, digital advertising and designing websites. If approved, the move will directly affect companies like Google and Facebook that rely on digital advertising.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:51 pm on 28 Mar

read more at Trak.in

Google may add augmented reality to its camera

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:43 pm on 28 Mar 2016,Monday

Google is reportedly looking at bringing augmented reality (AR) to its camera app. This will be leveraged through Google Goggles, an image recognition app that is used for searching information based on pictures. The technology of the standalone AR app will be merged with the camera, and will also enable outlining "specific areas of the image” for targeted search results.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:43 pm on 28 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Voice-controlled app developed to track calories

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:34 pm on 28 Mar 2016,Monday

MIT researchers have developed an app that lets users track calorie counts by verbally describing the contents of a meal. The speech-controlled nutrition-logging system automatically retrieves nutritional data of meal descriptions from an online database of the US Department of Agriculture. Users can also refine their descriptions, either verbally or by selecting precise information on the app.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:34 pm on 28 Mar

read more at Tech2

Microsoft builds special Windows 10 for China

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:08 pm on 28 Mar 2016,Monday

Microsoft has revealed to have built a special government-approved version of Windows 10 for China. Officially called Zhuangongban, the version does not have the same apps and services that come with Windows 10 in other locations, and is equipped with additional device management and security controls. China is known for being strict about security and censorship of its technology services.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:08 pm on 28 Mar

read more at The Next Web

FB apologizes for Lahore Safety Check glitch

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:06 pm on 28 Mar 2016,Monday

Facebook has apologized for accidentally sending Safety Check notifications for the Lahore suicide bombing on Sunday to people in unaffected locations including the US and the UK. The company said, “This kind of bug is counter to our intent”. Further confusion was created when users were asked if they were affected by the explosion via SMS, without specifying any location.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:06 pm on 28 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Intex launches Cloud Jewel smartphone for ₹5,999

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:57 pm on 28 Mar 2016,Monday

Intex launched the Cloud Jewel smartphone on Monday for ₹5,999. The 4G phone features a 5" HD display, 8 MP/2 MP cameras, a 2,500 mAh battery, 2 GB of RAM and is powered by a 1 GHz quad-core MediaTek processor. The dual-SIM phone runs the Android Lollipop 5.1 OS, and will be available on Snapdeal in two colour variants.

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:57 pm on 28 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

iOS 9.3 bug crashes apps on opening links

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:16 pm on 28 Mar 2016,Monday

iPhone users are facing a new bug in Apple’s latest iOS 9.3 software update in which users are unable to open links in Safari, Messages, Mail, Notes and other apps. The bug is leading to crashing of the apps on opening links, instead of rerouting to the website. The bug is largely affecting iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus users.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:16 pm on 28 Mar

read more at Tech2

New method to click glare-less photos developed

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:13 pm on 27 Mar 2016,Sunday

MIT researchers have developed a new photography technique that can produce glare-less photos by beaming light on to the objects in the photos and then measuring the arrival times and the intensity of the reflected light. This technique could enable removing reflections from digital photographs shot through surfaces like glass. The team had collaborated with Microsoft Research for the development.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:13 pm on 27 Mar

read more at Engadget

Couple faces problems due to last name 'Null'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:09 pm on 27 Mar 2016,Sunday

A couple with the last name 'Null' recently revealed the problems they face while accessing online services that require users' last name. When 'null', which is a word in computer programming to indicate that there is no value, is entered in a particular field, it generates error messages such as "field cannot be left blank".

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:09 pm on 27 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Google releases 360° video of its data center

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:49 pm on 27 Mar 2016,Sunday

Google has released a 360° video of its data center in The Dalles, Oregon. The virtual reality (VR) tour, released in 4K resolution, shows where Google stores its data, how multiple data centers around the world are connected to each other, how all the systems are kept sufficiently cool and how the company disposes its faulty hard drives.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:49 pm on 27 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Baidu uses maps data to predict crowd gatherings

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:40 pm on 27 Mar 2016,Sunday

Chinese company Baidu has claimed to predict potential crowd gatherings across the world by analyzing its map searches. The company reportedly hosts around 302 million monthly users for its map services. A machine-learning system was trained to analyze the company's map queries data, and found that the time and place of huge gatherings can be predicted three hours in advance.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:40 pm on 27 Mar

read more at Phys

Apple pulls back iOS 9.3 update for older phones

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:27 pm on 27 Mar 2016,Sunday

Apple has pulled back its latest iOS 9.3 software update for devices older than the iPhone 5s and the iPad Air. Users of such devices had to enter their Apple IDs and passwords to complete the software update, rendering them inactivated in cases they forgot the same. Apple said it will soon release an updated version that eliminates this step.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:27 pm on 27 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Google Street View enables exploring Batcave

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:47 pm on 27 Mar 2016,Sunday

Google Street View has partnered with Warner Bros. to allow users to explore Bruce Wayne's residence, which is full of computers, weaponry, details about Batman's past, Batman's armor, Robin's costume and the new Batmobile. According to the company, the set's above-ground portion is located outside of Detroit, where the majority of the movie's photography took place.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:47 pm on 27 Mar

read more at The Verge

US govt launches competition to create AI radios

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:02 pm on 27 Mar 2016,Sunday

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the US Department of Defense has launched a Grand Challenge for developing artificial intelligence-powered radios. Such radios will automatically cooperate with each other to avoid wireless congestion. The competition will start in 2017 and pick a winner in 2020, who will be awarded a prize money of $2 million.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:02 pm on 27 Mar

read more at Engadget

Apple to revamp iPhone lineup in 2017: Reports

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:27 pm on 27 Mar 2016,Sunday

According to media reports citing Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is planning to revamp its iPhone lineup in 2017. The revamped iPhone will feature a curved body and screen, glass on both the top and the bottom, an AMOLED display and support for wireless charging. Further, Apple is expected to launch a 5.8-inch iPhone in 2017.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:27 pm on 27 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Microsoft enables holographic interaction via AR

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:20 pm on 27 Mar 2016,Sunday

Microsoft has unveiled a holographic communication method called holoportation using its HoloLens augmented reality (AR) headset. The system allows people in two different locations to teleport into one room and interact in real-time. For this, a person’s entire movement and speech is captured in 3D and projected into another room. The holographic interaction can be recorded and even shrunk down.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:20 pm on 27 Mar

read more at YouTube

Instagram rolls out Discover People page on web

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:52 pm on 27 Mar 2016,Sunday

Photo-sharing app Instagram has launched its Discover People page on the web. The tool, denoted by a little compass icon on the homepage, allows users to check out a bunch of people they would be interested in following, along with three of each user’s most recent photos. Notably, the feature was already available on Instagram's mobile apps.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:52 pm on 27 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Oculus founder hand-delivers 1st Rift VR headset

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:25 pm on 27 Mar 2016,Sunday

Palmer Luckey, the Founder of virtual reality company Oculus VR, flew to Alaska on Saturday to personally deliver the first ever Rift VR headset. The hand-delivery was made to Ross Martin, the first person to have pre-ordered the device. Luckey also live-streamed the headset's delivery and unboxing on Facebook. Notably, the $599 device will officially start shipping on March 28.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:25 pm on 27 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

First long-distance phone call made on this day

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:01 am on 27 Mar 2016,Sunday

The first long-distance phone call was made on March 27, 1884, between Boston and New York. The call, made between inventor of the telephone Alexander Graham Bell and his assistant Watson, lasted for about 90 minutes. The telephone line was built using copper wires instead of the previously used galvanized iron for greater signal strength.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:01 am on 27 Mar

read more at The Better India

London gets Europe's largest floating solar farm

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:56 pm on 26 Mar 2016,Saturday

Europe's largest floating solar farm has been built in London on the Thames river, featuring 23,046 solar panels and measuring 57,500 square metres or the size of eight football pitches. Built at a cost of over $8 million, it will generate enough power to light 1,800 houses. Around 61,000 floats and 177 anchors are used to keep the panels afloat.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:56 pm on 26 Mar

read more at Daily Mail

Startup makes robot to inspect power plants

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:24 pm on 26 Mar 2016,Saturday

US-based startup Gecko Robotics has developed a robot which can replace humans for time-consuming and dangerous inspections at power plants. Supervised by a human, the robot can climb walls of power plants during inspection and collect 10% more data than a human. It inspects and evaluates a boiler in one day, which takes seven days for a human to inspect.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:24 pm on 26 Mar

read more at YouTube

Gmail updated with improved security features

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:50 pm on 26 Mar 2016,Saturday

Google has updated Gmail to add two new security improvements to the platform. First, Google has turned on its Safe Browsing service for Gmail that will alert users if they click on potentially dangerous links in messages. Second, Gmail has gained a full-page warning with instructions about how users suspected to be targeted by state-sponsored attackers can stay safe.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:50 pm on 26 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Microsoft starts shipping Surface Hub whiteboard

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:24 pm on 26 Mar 2016,Saturday

Microsoft has finally started selling its Surface Hub interactive whiteboard to business customers. The giant all-in-one touchscreen PC features speakers, microphones, two webcams, dual pen input and comes pre-loaded with Skype for Business and other Office applications.The 84-inch model costs $22,000, while the 55-inch model costs $9,000. The Windows 10-run device was first unveiled in 2015.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:24 pm on 26 Mar

read more at Engadget

UK cancer surgery to be live-streamed through VR

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:28 pm on 26 Mar 2016,Saturday

An operation to be performed by London-based surgeon Shafi Ahmed on a British cancer patient is set to be live-streamed using Virtual Reality (VR) technology on April 14. Notably, in 2014, Ahmed performed a surgery in what was the first operation to be live-streamed online using Google Glass, viewed by around 13,000 people in more than 100 countries.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:28 pm on 26 Mar

read more at The Guardian

Apple launches tool for Watch personalisation

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:03 pm on 26 Mar 2016,Saturday

Apple has launched a web tool which lets users personalise their Watch by making a combination from various cases, bands and faces available for the Apple Watch. The tool combines the items picked by the user and displays the final product. However, to order the personalised Watch, the users will need to buy every item separately from Apple's online store.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:03 pm on 26 Mar

read more at The Verge

Google's Nik photo editing software becomes free

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:45 pm on 26 Mar 2016,Saturday

Google has made its Nik Collection photo editing software free of charge. Users can now download the software, that features seven different desktop services including popular photo app Snapseed, for free. Google had acquired Nik Software in 2012, and offered all of its services for $149. The software’s photo editing capabilities include filter applications, creative effects and image sharpening.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:45 pm on 26 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Microsoft apologizes for chatbot's racist tweets

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:09 pm on 26 Mar 2016,Saturday

Microsoft has apologized for its artificial intelligence-powered chatbot Tay’s “wildly inappropriate” tweets. The company said, “[W]e’ll... bring Tay back only when we are confident we can better anticipate malicious intent”. Earlier, Microsoft had taken Tay offline within 24 hours of its launch after it started tweeting offensive and racist statements reportedly due to “a coordinated attack”.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:09 pm on 26 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

3D printer uses smartphone's light to print

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:54 am on 26 Mar 2016,Saturday

A San Francisco-based startup has created a smartphone-powered 3D printer 'OLO', which uses the light from a smartphone's screen to harden resin solution for printing 3D objects. Priced at $99, it is compatible with smartphones of any size or brand. It can print both soft and hard objects from designs stored in a smartphone or any other 3D printing software.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:54 am on 26 Mar

read more at YouTube

Amazon says it does not have a gender pay gap

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:49 pm on 25 Mar 2016,Friday

Amazon, on Wednesday, said that its female employees earned as much as their male counterparts, according to a survey it recently conducted. The company, which estimates that women made up 39% of its global workforce as of July, said a review of compensation found that women earned 99.9 cents for every dollar that men earned in the same jobs.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:49 pm on 25 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Vivo launches Y31L smartphone for ₹9,450

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:35 pm on 25 Mar 2016,Friday

Vivo has launched its Y31L smartphone in India for ₹9,450. The 4G-enabled phone features a 4.7-inch qHD display, 8 MP/5 MP cameras, a 2,200 mAh battery, 1 GB of RAM and is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor. It runs the Funtouch OS 2.1, based on Android 5.1 Lollipop, and is available in two colour variants.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:35 pm on 25 Mar

MIT develops system to eliminate traffic lights

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:21 pm on 25 Mar 2016,Friday

MIT researchers have recently developed a system that can help eliminate traffic lights, thus reducing waiting time and emissions. The proposed system functions like the one used by air-traffic control, as every vehicle that approaches an intersection automatically requests access from the traffic system. The vehicle then receives its assigned 'time slot' to pass through that intersection.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:21 pm on 25 Mar

read more at Daily Mail

Facebook tests feature to prevent fake accounts

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:20 pm on 25 Mar 2016,Friday

Facebook is testing a feature which automatically alerts a user if another user is impersonating the account using the same name and profile photo. On detecting impersonation, Facebook will alert the user of potential risk and ask for verification. The feature, which Facebook started testing in November 2015, is now live on 75% of its accounts.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:20 pm on 25 Mar

read more at Mashable

Odisha govt asks departments to use social media

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:15 pm on 25 Mar 2016,Friday

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has asked all state departments to use social media to establish a two-way communication between the administration and citizens. Patnaik said that as the government functions at multiple levels, websites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube should be used to interact directly with the people. He also directed the departments to regularly upgrade their websites.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:15 pm on 25 Mar

read more at PTI

Snapchat buys Bitstrips for $100 million: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:50 pm on 25 Mar 2016,Friday

Snapchat has reportedly bought instant comic maker Bitstrips for $100 million cash and stock deal. Founded in 2007, Bitstrips is best known for its Bitmoji app, which lets users create an avatar of themselves to share on social media and over text. Snapchat recently raised $175 million in fresh funding from Fidelity Investments, valuing the messaging app at $16 billion.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:50 pm on 25 Mar

read more at Re/code

BJP MP files FIR against Ringing Bells officials

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:46 pm on 25 Mar 2016,Friday

Kirit Somaiya, a BJP MP from Mumbai, has lodged an FIR against the top officials of Ringing Bells with the Noida Police. Accusing the company of cheating, Somaiya alleges that it raised money via misleading ads and requested the police to freeze its account. Earlier, Ringing Bells had released world's cheapest smartphone at ₹251, but failed to deliver the device.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:46 pm on 25 Mar

read more at Trak.in

UK researchers develop lip-reading technology

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:30 pm on 25 Mar 2016,Friday

Researchers at the University of East Anglia, UK, have developed a lip-reading speech recognition technology that can be applied at places where the audio is not good enough to determine the speech. It could be used in several situations like helping people with hearing or speech impairments or enhancing audio-less video footage with additional speech data during criminal investigations.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:30 pm on 25 Mar

read more at India Today

57 Gbps of data transmitted via optical fiber

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:25 pm on 25 Mar 2016,Friday

Researchers from the University of Illinois claim to have set a new record by transmitting 57 Gbps of error-free data through fiber optic lines at room temperature. This was done using a new laser breed that creates a sharper, more efficient pulse of light to push the speed of data transmission. Further, the speed drops to 50 Gbps at 85°C.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:25 pm on 25 Mar

read more at Engadget

Apple making an original TV series about apps

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:13 pm on 25 Mar 2016,Friday

Apple is working with American entertainer Will.i.am and producers Ben Silverman and Howard Owens to make an original TV series about app ecosystem and app development. A senior executive said, “We’ve seen some truly inspiring…stories from our developers in what they’ve done, where they come from...and the problems they’ve solved.” Notably, Netflix and Amazon are also creating original TV content.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:13 pm on 25 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Lenovo Vibe K4 top selling electronic on Amazon

short by Jatan Desai / 05:21 pm on 25 Mar 2016,Friday

The 16 GB variant of Lenovo Vibe K4 Note priced at ₹11,999 was the most selling electronic item on the e-commerce platform Amazon in the past two weeks. Coolpad Note 3 Lite available for ₹6,999 while SanDisk Ultra Micro SDHC priced at ₹280 were the second and third most sold electronic items in the same period.

short by Jatan Desai / 05:21 pm on 25 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Bengaluru police creates Twitter dashboard

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:12 pm on 25 Mar 2016,Friday

Twitter India has designed a special dashboard for the Bengaluru police to monitor complaints in real-time. The dashboard filters out irrelevant tweets, identifies the area from which a complaint has arrived and automatically forwards it to the respective police station. Notably, all 146 police stations in the city have their own Twitter handles.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:12 pm on 25 Mar

read more at Trak.in

Google Chrome tool strikes out abusive words

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:53 pm on 25 Mar 2016,Friday

UK-based mental health organisation Headspace has built a Google Chrome browser extension named 'Reword', which strikes out abusive words with a red line, as a user types. It works on popular sites like Facebook and Twitter to identify abusive words, phrases or sentences in real-time. The tool also allows contribution of such words from users to add to its database.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:53 pm on 25 Mar

read more at Mashable

Sony announces new business for mobile games

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:02 pm on 24 Mar 2016,Thursday

Tokyo-based electronics and entertainment conglomerate Sony on Thursday announced that it will form a new business called ForwardWorks focussed on mobile gaming. The company said that it will develop game titles that will make use of PlayStation characters. It will be incorporated from April 1, 2016, and will provide gaming applications optimized for smart devices initially in Japan and Asia.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:02 pm on 24 Mar

read more at Engadget

Google announces Cloud Machine Learning platform

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:00 pm on 24 Mar 2016,Thursday

Google on Wednesday announced a new service called Cloud Machine Learning for developers in a limited preview at its NEXT Google Cloud Platform user conference. It consists of two parts – one allows to build machine learning models using data, and another offers Google products like translation, photo and speech recognition APIs, which the developers can use into their apps.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:00 pm on 24 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

South Korea tops global average internet speed

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:08 pm on 24 Mar 2016,Thursday

According to Akamai’s ‘State of the Internet’ report, South Korea has the fastest average connection speed in the world at 26.7 Mbps. Sweden occupies the second spot with an average speed of 19.1 Mbps followed by Norway at 18.8 Mbps. India stands at 114th position with an average internet speed of 2.8 Mbps.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:08 pm on 24 Mar

read more at Trak.in

Israeli firm to help FBI unlock iPhone: Reports

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:20 pm on 24 Mar 2016,Thursday

The FBI has reportedly asked Israeli firm CelleBrite to unlock San Bernardino shooter's iPhone. Earlier, the FBI had said that it may not need Apple’s help to unlock the iPhone as it had found an outside party to do the job. Notably, CelleBrite specialises in phone-oriented forensic software and can physically extract the memory of locked iOS devices.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:20 pm on 24 Mar

read more at Engadget

Microsoft makes chatbot to gauge how teens talk

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:00 pm on 24 Mar 2016,Thursday

Microsoft has developed an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot called Tay to conduct real-world research on the conversational language of millennials. Aimed at indulging in conversation like teenagers, Tay is available on Twitter, GroupMe, Kik, Snapchat and Facebook. Besides straightforward chatting, the robot can also tell jokes and stories, make memes out of photos, and deliver a horoscope.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:00 pm on 24 Mar

read more at The Verge

Pornhub launches new virtual reality section

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 11:07 am on 24 Mar 2016,Thursday

Pornhub, in partnership with BaDoinkVR, has launched a new virtual reality (VR) section. Users can view the website’s VR content for free through the desktop browser, the mobile browser, Android or iOS apps and VR headsets like the Oculus Rift. To celebrate the launch, the company is also giving away 10,000 Google Cardboard VR goggles to its viewers.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 11:07 am on 24 Mar

read more at The Verge

Google building new live-streaming app: Reports

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:12 am on 24 Mar 2016,Thursday

Google is reportedly building a new live-streaming app called YouTube Connect. The standalone app lets users stream videos right from their phones and also store previous broadcasts for later playback. In direct competition with Twitter’s Periscope and Facebook Live, it features built-in news feed, chat and tagging. However, it does not feature support for sharing live-streams on social networks.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:12 am on 24 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Streaming revenue exceeds downloads for 1st time

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:21 am on 24 Mar 2016,Thursday

According to a report released by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), streaming music revenue in the US surpassed revenue from downloads for the first time. The milestone was revealed in the organization's 2015 year-end sales report. The RIAA said that streaming made up 34.3% of the US music industry's recorded revenue last year followed by downloads at 34%.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:21 am on 24 Mar

read more at The Verge

India, B'desh PMs launch two bilateral projects

short by Anupama K / 05:20 pm on 23 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday launched two projects under which India will supply 100 MW of electricity to Bangladesh and in return receive 10 Gigabits per second internet bandwidth. Describing the move as historic, Modi said India is marching shoulder-to-shoulder with Bangladesh in its progress. The launch took place over video conference.

short by Anupama K / 05:20 pm on 23 Mar

Uber to pay up to $10,000 on finding bugs

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:40 pm on 23 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Uber on Tuesday announced a bug bounty of up to $10,000 to hackers who will find bugs in its system. Starting from May 1, it will last for 90 days and reward hackers who will find four issues accepted by Uber as genuine bugs. Uber last year held a private bug bounty program where 100 bugs were found and fixed.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:40 pm on 23 Mar

read more at The Verge

Tech giants partner to make e-mails more secure

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:50 pm on 22 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, LinkedIn and Comcast have partnered to propose a new e-mail mechanism, called SMTP Strict Transport Security (SMTP STS), that ensures encrypted e-mails. It checks if the domain a user is sending to supports SMTP STS and makes sure its encryption certificate is authentic and up-to-date. The current e-mail encryption system is susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:50 pm on 22 Mar

read more at Engadget

Chromecast app being renamed to Google Cast app

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:10 pm on 22 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Google has announced that it is rebranding its Chromecast app to Google Cast app this week. The app allows video and audio streaming from Android devices to not just Google’s own thumb-sized Chromecast dongle, but also other third-party devices. The name change has occurred to better reflect this recent expansion of the platform, which also supports TVs, displays and speakers.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:10 pm on 22 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

FB activates Safety Check for Brussels attack

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:07 pm on 22 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Facebook on Tuesday activated its Safety Check feature for Brussels, where a series of explosions left at least 34 dead and 186 injured. The feature allows users to check if their Facebook friends are safe, and also mark them as safe. Originally used for natural disasters, the feature has so far been activated for Paris, Nigeria and Turkey terrorist attacks.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:07 pm on 22 Mar

read more at Mashable

Alibaba to unveil its 1st internet car in April

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:34 pm on 22 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba will reportedly unveil its first internet-connected smart car, jointly developed with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, in April. According to the company's CTO, it's battery will retain 80% of its capacity after running 1,60,000 km. The car will adopt people-to-car, car-to-car, car-to-road and car-to-infrastructure communication technologies, he added.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:34 pm on 22 Mar

read more at Firstpost

Apple launches CareKit to create health apps

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:34 pm on 22 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Apple on Monday launched CareKit, a new developer tool that will make it easier to build healthcare apps for iOS devices. The platform can be used to monitor symptoms, track treatment progress and keep tabs on medication schedules. The first app created with the open-source platform, to be available in April, will be tailored for people with the Parkinson’s disease.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:34 pm on 22 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Apple robot can separate recyclable iPhone parts

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:54 pm on 22 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Apple has unveiled a robot, called Liam, that can disassemble an old iPhone and separate its parts so that they can be recycled. The robot can take apart cobalt and lithium from the battery, separate gold and copper from the camera and extract silver and platinum from the main logic board. This comes as a part Apple’s latest environment goals.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:54 pm on 22 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

iPhone SE price starts from ₹39,000 in India

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:07 pm on 22 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Apple on Monday announced that the new 4-inch iPhone SE will cost ₹39,000 for its 16 GB variant in India. Powered by an A9 chip, the new smartphone features a 12 MP rear camera, 4K video recording and 1.2 MP front camera with live photos support. It will be available in four colours from early April.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:07 pm on 22 Mar

read more at Firstpost

Former Intel CEO Andrew Grove passes away at 79

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:57 pm on 22 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Former Intel CEO Andrew Grove passed away on Monday aged 79. Considered as a pioneer in the semiconductor industry and the "guy who drove the growth phase" of Silicon Valley, Grove played a critical role in moving Intel’s focus from memory chips to microprocessors. Several technology leaders including Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates and Apple CEO Tim Cook expressed their condolences.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:57 pm on 22 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

May not need Apple’s help to unlock iPhone: FBI

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:34 pm on 22 Mar 2016,Tuesday

The US Justice Department on Monday postponed the hearing in the Apple-FBI case as the FBI said it may not need Apple's assistance to unlock the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone. It said that an outside party may possibly unlock the iPhone. The Justice Department added that it would file a status report by April 5.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:34 pm on 22 Mar

read more at The Verge

Apple launches new software update iOS 9.3

short by Pragya Swastik / 12:55 am on 22 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Apple has launched a new software update iOS 9.3, which will be available for download on all its devices starting today. It features Night Shift mode that shifts the colour temperature of the display based on the time and location. It also allows users to protect Apple Notes with a password/Touch ID and brings multi-user support for iOS.

short by Pragya Swastik / 12:55 am on 22 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Stress-busting 'Nervana' music device unveiled

short by Nihal Thondepu / 12:40 am on 22 Mar 2016,Tuesday

A Florida-based startup has unveiled the 'Nervana' headphones with a generator, priced at $279, that stimulates nerves in the ear to "increase calm and reduce stress". Electric pulses are delivered through one of the headphones to trigger the release of feel-good hormones. The Nervana Generator reportedly analyses the music to synchronise the nerve stimulation with sound.

short by Nihal Thondepu / 12:40 am on 22 Mar

read more at ANI

Apple Watch price slashed to $299

short by Pragya Swastik / 12:21 am on 22 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Apple on Monday slashed its Watch price to $299 and unveiled a series of new bands compatible with the device. It includes a set of woven nylon bands available in four colours. Apple's space black version of its Milanese Loop will also be available for the Apple Watch. Until now, the starting price of an Apple Watch was $349.

short by Pragya Swastik / 12:21 am on 22 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Apple unveils 9.7-inch iPad Pro starting at $599

short by Pragya Swastik / 12:03 am on 22 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Apple on Monday unveiled a smaller iPad Pro tablet with 9.7-inch display at $599 for 32 GB, $749 for 128 GB and $899 for its 256 GB variant. It weighs less than one pound and comes with a 12 MP rear camera, 4K video recording and 5 MP front camera. It also has a blue-light reduction feature for night use.

short by Pragya Swastik / 12:03 am on 22 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Apple unveils 4-inch iPhone SE starting $399

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:32 pm on 21 Mar 2016,Monday

Apple on Monday unveiled its new 4-inch smartphone 'iPhone SE' at $399 for its 16 GB variant and $499 for the 64 GB variant. Powered by a 64-bit A9 chip, the new iPhone runs on iOS 9.3. It features a 12 MP camera, 4K video recording and support for live photos. The phone will be available starting March 31.

short by Pragya Swastik / 11:32 pm on 21 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Tech imposes user's expression on another face

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:48 pm on 21 Mar 2016,Monday

Researchers have created a face-detection technology called 'Face2Face', which lets users impose facial expressions on other people in a video. The technology uses a personalised webcam to capture the live expressions of the user and creates a 3D model of the user's face. These expressions are further transferred in real-time to another face in the video.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:48 pm on 21 Mar

read more at YouTube

Woman's iPhone catches fire during flight

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:02 pm on 21 Mar 2016,Monday

According to reports, a woman's Apple iPhone 6 suddenly caught fire and generated eight-inch flames while she was watching a movie onboard an Alaska Airlines flight carrying 163 passengers. The woman flipped the phone underneath a seat, which was extinguished by the flight attendants. No one was hurt, however, an investigation has been launched by the Federal Aviation Administration.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:02 pm on 21 Mar

read more at Daily Mail

Intex Aqua Ace II smartphone launched for ₹8,999

short by Deeksha Koli / 07:19 pm on 21 Mar 2016,Monday

Intex on Monday launched the Aqua Ace II smartphone in India for ₹8,999. The phone features a 5" HD display, 3 GB of RAM, 8 MP/5 MP cameras, a 3,000 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek processor. The device runs the Android 5.1 Lollipop OS and will be available in retail stores across the country.

short by Deeksha Koli / 07:19 pm on 21 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Twitter lists most popular emoji, hashtag, tweet

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:13 pm on 21 Mar 2016,Monday

On its 10th birthday, micro-blogging site Twitter revealed that the “tears of joy” emoji is the most popular emoji and "#FF" for “Follow Friday” is the most popular hashtag. The most retweeted tweet is actress Ellen DeGeneres’s selfie from the 2014 Oscars. Further, singer Katy Perry is most followed while Justin Bieber is the most mentioned person on Twitter.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:13 pm on 21 Mar

read more at Twitter

Facebook to end support for BlackBerry

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:43 pm on 21 Mar 2016,Monday

Facebook will end support for BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10 operating systems on March 31. The company will pull support for several core functionalities including contact synchronisation and BlackBerry hub integration. Users will also lose the ability to share images on Facebook through the system-level share icon. Earlier, WhatsApp also announced to end BlackBerry support by 2016 end.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:43 pm on 21 Mar

read more at India Today

Woodland to launch smart wearables, sports gear

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:42 pm on 21 Mar 2016,Monday

Footwear and apparel brand Woodland will launch a range of new smart wearable products and sports gear, including supershell shoes that are resistant to snake bites. Other such products include fitness bands, smartwatches, hands-free umbrellas and t-shirts that block UV rays. Woodland’s MD Harkirat Singh said, "We have partners in the US, Taiwan, China and Germany... to make such products".

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:42 pm on 21 Mar

read more at PTI

No immediate plans for IPO: Xiaomi

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:13 pm on 21 Mar 2016,Monday

Hugo Barra, the global Vice President of Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi, has said that the company has no immediate plans to open an initial public offering (IPO). Barra added that Xiaomi is financially self-sufficient and has “no need to raise more money”. Notably, Xiaomi is expanding its production capacity in India and aiming to build two new factories this year.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:13 pm on 21 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

BSNL to invest ₹2,000 cr in modernisation drive

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:26 pm on 21 Mar 2016,Monday

State-run telecom firm BSNL has announced an investment of ₹2,000 crore for carrying out a major modernisation drive across India. Under this, the company will focus on rural areas and almost 50-60% of the investment will be targeted at making 3G coverage stronger and faster. BSNL will also install free public Wi-Fi hotspots across all historic and religious monuments.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:26 pm on 21 Mar

read more at Trak.in

InFocus launches Bingo 10 smartphone at ₹4,299

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:02 pm on 21 Mar 2016,Monday

InFocus has launched its Bingo 10 smartphone in India at ₹4,299. Claimed to be the world’s cheapest smartphone running the Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS, the dual-SIM phone features a 4.5-inch display, 1 GB of RAM, 5 MP/5 MP cameras and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek processor. The device is exclusively available on Snapdeal in two colour variants.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:02 pm on 21 Mar

Twitter lists India's top 10 iconic moments

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:46 pm on 21 Mar 2016,Monday

On the occasion of its 10th birthday, microblogging website Twitter has released a list of India's top 10 iconic moments on the platform over the last decade. It includes Mumbai terrorist attacks, India winning the Cricket World Cup, Nirbhaya rape case, Sachin Tendulkar's retirement, Chennai floods and Mangalyaan reaching Mars. Twitter has also sent 'thank you' e-mails to its users.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:46 pm on 21 Mar

read more at Tech2

VR headset that works without phone, PC made

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:58 am on 21 Mar 2016,Monday

Sulon Technologies, a Toronto-based startup, has developed 'Sulon Q', a headset which allows virtual reality, augmented reality and spatial computing without connecting to a smartphone or a computer. The headset has a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution OLED display, which is sharper than both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets. It comes with spatial earbuds to create three-dimensional sound of space.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:58 am on 21 Mar

read more at YouTube

IBM's AI system guesses elements in photos

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:12 am on 21 Mar 2016,Monday

US-based company IBM has released a visual recognition demo of its Watson Artificial Intelligence (AI) system, which lets users feed the AI with an image for it to guess the picture's contents. The users can also train the system by uploading photos in bulk and classifying them. The company has made the same demo available as an open source project.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:12 am on 21 Mar

read more at The Next Web

India saw 5th most domain name hijacks in 2015

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:18 am on 21 Mar 2016,Monday

According to a report by Finland-based security and privacy company F-Secure, India suffered the fifth-highest Domain Name System (DNS) hijacks in 2015. DNS hijacks' basic motive is to alter the configurations of their targets to monitor and manipulate the internet traffic. The majority of the observed hijacks in the year occurred in Italy followed by Poland, Egypt and Sweden.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:18 am on 21 Mar

read more at The Financial Express

First tweet was posted 10 years ago

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 01:17 am on 21 Mar 2016,Monday

The world’s first ever tweet was posted on March 21, 2006, by Twitter Co-founder Jack Dorsey. The tweet read, “just setting up my twttr”. Afer twelve minutes, Dorsey posted another tweet that read, “inviting coworkers”. Notably, the service was initially called Twttr, inspired by Flickr and the five-character length of American SMS short codes.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 01:17 am on 21 Mar

read more at This Day in Tech History

New portable cardiac device monitor introduced

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:45 pm on 20 Mar 2016,Sunday

Berlin-based cardio and endovascular technology maker Biotronik has introduced its latest smartphone-sized home monitoring technology, called CardioMessenger Smart, in India for patients with implanted cardiac devices such as pacemakers and heart failure devices. The device provides fully automatic transfer of vital information from a patient's cardiac implant to their physician, the company said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:45 pm on 20 Mar

Sony developing PS 4.5 for VR content: Reports

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:10 pm on 20 Mar 2016,Sunday

According to media reports, Sony is developing an enhanced PlayStation 4.5 for virtual reality (VR) and 4K content. The company has reportedly reached out to several developers to outline the console, including a more powerful Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) to support high-quality, immersive games. Sony’s current PlayStation 4 is a traditional home video game console priced at $399.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:10 pm on 20 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Pre-2013 Kindles face mandatory software update

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:37 pm on 20 Mar 2016,Sunday

Amazon has asked people owning pre-2013 Kindle e-readers to compulsorily update their devices to the latest software by march 22. If not, users can lose access to the Kindle Store, any book saved in the cloud and all other Kindle services. Notably, users who miss the deadline can manually update their devices through a USB cable.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:37 pm on 20 Mar

read more at Engadget

Swatch launches Tissot Smart-Touch smartwatch

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:18 pm on 20 Mar 2016,Sunday

Swiss watch maker Swatch has launched its Tissot Smart-Touch smartwatch for around $1,100 to $1,200. Dubbed as Swatch’s first proper smartwatch, the device features navigation support, a solar-powered weather station and automatic time updates. The company claims that the smartwatch’s battery can last up to a year on a single charge. Further, the device can be charged using solar power.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:18 pm on 20 Mar

read more at Engadget

Bihar police to use WhatsApp, FB to share info

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:22 pm on 20 Mar 2016,Sunday

The Bihar police have decided to use WhatsApp, e-mail, Twitter and Facebook applications to share information among officers. For this, Android smartphones will be provided to all police officers, ranging from Station House Officers (SHOs) to Directors General of Police (DGPs). The move is aimed at “better and efficient state-level coordination” and will cost ₹2.08 crore.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:22 pm on 20 Mar

read more at Firstpost

Anonymous reveals Donald Trump’s personal info

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:48 pm on 20 Mar 2016,Sunday

Hactivist collective Anonymous has released personal information about US presedential candidate Donald Trump online. The group has reportedly revealed Trump’s home address, social security number, birth certificate and phone numbers. A spokesperson for Trump said that law enforcement authorities are seeking the arrest of the people responsible for attempting to illegally hack Trump’s accounts.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:48 pm on 20 Mar

read more at The Next Web

SoundCloud ties up with Sony Music Entertainment

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:57 pm on 20 Mar 2016,Sunday

Music streaming service SoundCloud has partnered with Sony Music Entertainment (SME), thus increasing the number of songs on its platform. Further, artists affiliated with SME will now be able to generate revenue off of their tracks hosted on SoundCloud, and have access to SoundCloud’s promotional tools and analytics data. SoundCloud already has similar deals with three other music publishers.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:57 pm on 20 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Few users disabled algorithmic timeline: Twitter

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:20 pm on 20 Mar 2016,Sunday

Twitter has said that only a few users are opting out of its algorithmic timeline, and that the opt-out rate is in “low single digits”. Launched last month, the new timeline shows users customised tweets at the top around the topics they are interested in. Twitter also said that it has seen across-the-board increases in per-user favorites, retweets and replies.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:20 pm on 20 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

NASA to send commercial 3D printer to space

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:46 pm on 20 Mar 2016,Sunday

NASA will send a 3D printer, called Additive Manufacturing Facility, to the International Space Station on March 22. Developed by 3D-printing company ‘Made in Space’, the printer is designed to operate in microgravity and is the first commercial manufacturing device being sent to space. Customers can pay the company to use the printer, which can be remotely controlled from Earth.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:46 pm on 20 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Drone which launches itself from underwater made

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:28 pm on 20 Mar 2016,Sunday

Researchers at the JHU Applied Physics Laboratory in US have developed a drone named 'Cracuns', which can launch itself from underwater for aerial missions. The drone, with four rotor blades, can withstand both underwater pressure and corrosive effects of salt water. It can also remain submerged at a depth of several hundred feet of water for at least two months.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:28 pm on 20 Mar

read more at YouTube

WhatsApp rolls out new features for iOS users

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:52 pm on 20 Mar 2016,Sunday

WhatsApp has launched new features on iOS including the ability to save incoming media content for specific chats and groups. Earlier, users could either save media for all chats or for none. Further, missed WhatsApp calls now show inside the chat itself rather than the recent tab. Users can also share PDFs through WhatsApp, a feature already available on Android.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:52 pm on 20 Mar

DRDO develops sensor to detect radiation levels

short by Anupama K / 01:04 pm on 20 Mar 2016,Sunday

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Jodhpur has developed a sensor capable of detecting radiation levels during a nuclear accident. The sensor, 'Derald Nuclear', can be fitted on a drone and can detect gamma radiation from a height of 50 m. "This perhaps is the only equipment that can detect radiation from radioactive substances this way", said a DRDO official.

short by Anupama K / 01:04 pm on 20 Mar

read more at PTI

App tracks every balance deduction from SIM

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:00 am on 20 Mar 2016,Sunday

Pune-based startup Smartbro Optinno has developed an Android app named 'Smartbro', which tracks and logs every single deduction of balance from a user's prepaid mobile SIM. It tracks both the main and data balance, shows current available balance on the phone's dialler and reminds about the expiry of the balance. The app does not require a data connection to work.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:00 am on 20 Mar

read more at India Today

Indian develops mind-controlled wheelchair

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:55 am on 20 Mar 2016,Sunday

New Delhi-based robotics researcher Diwakar Vaish has developed a mind-controlled wheelchair for paralytic patients priced at ₹2 lakh. The wheelchair uses brain signals of the user to control its speed and sends an alert in case of any risk. Further, a user can immediately stop the wheelchair during an emergency by blinking.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:55 am on 20 Mar

read more at YouTube

Russia reveals plans to send cosmonauts to Mars

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:35 am on 20 Mar 2016,Sunday

Russia recently announced that in 2018 it will test a nuclear engine that could help cosmonauts reach Mars in six weeks, as compared to the 18 months a spacecraft currently needs to travel to Mars. The $274 million project uses nuclear propulsion rockets that weighs around half as much as a chemical rocket without reducing the thrust.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:35 am on 20 Mar

read more at Daily Mail

Yahoo acquired Flickr on this day

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:08 am on 20 Mar 2016,Sunday

Yahoo acquired photo-sharing website Flickr, and its parent company Ludicorp Research & Development, on March 20, 2005. Launched in February 2004, the Canada-based stand-alone website allows users to upload photos from computers and phones, put together photo albums and post photos to blogs, among other things. At the time of acquisition, Flickr's seven employees moved to Yahoo.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:08 am on 20 Mar

read more at This Day in Tech History

Contactless 3D fingerprint system developed

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:59 am on 20 Mar 2016,Sunday

Researchers from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University have designed and developed a faster, more accurate, low-cost contactless 3D fingerprint biometric identification system using a single fixed camera. The project can prove to be useful for high security, improved hygiene using touchless fingerprint biometric identification and also for automated detection of surgically modified fingerprints.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:59 am on 20 Mar

read more at Phys

SanDisk launches wireless 200GB stick for phones

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:51 pm on 19 Mar 2016,Saturday

SanDisk on Friday launched the new Connect Wireless Stick with 200 GB of flash storage for mobile phones, priced at ₹9,990. Initially, it will be available on Amazon India, before coming on the other platforms. The wireless stick comes with the SanDisk Connect app, which enables its users to manage content among their devices including iPhone, iPad, iPod and Android.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:51 pm on 19 Mar

Customise locations on Google Maps with stickers

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:53 pm on 19 Mar 2016,Saturday

Google Maps on Friday rolled out an Android update to let users personalise their home and office address by selecting stickers from a set of 24 stickers. The stickers feature an igloo, a treehouse, a farmhouse, a castle and a submarine among others. Google said that saving these addresses will allow users to get one-tap access to driving directions.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:53 pm on 19 Mar

read more at Google Blog

Videocon launches World's first satellite AC

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:10 pm on 19 Mar 2016,Saturday

Videocon recently launched the World's first Satellite Air Conditioner (AC), Aryabot, in eight variants priced from ₹34,000 (1 ton) to ₹39,000 (1.5 ton). It can be operated through embedded voice commands and can be paired up with smartwatches and smartphones to respond to a user's GPS position. All its features and services can be accessed through a mobile application.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:10 pm on 19 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Yahoo considering ad partnership with FB: Report

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:31 pm on 19 Mar 2016,Saturday

According to media reports, Yahoo is considering an advertising partnership with Facebook that would allow the social networking website to sell ads inside Tumblr's mobile app. Tumblr is a microblogging website that was acquired by Yahoo in 2013 for approximately $1.1 billion. Notably, Yahoo already has similar ad-sales deals with Google and Microsoft.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:31 pm on 19 Mar

read more at ANI

Facebook Messenger has in-built basketball game

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:57 pm on 19 Mar 2016,Saturday

Facebook Messenger app has an in-built game which lets users flick a basketball in a hoop to score points and beat their own high score. A user needs to send a basketball emoji to a messenger contact and tap the emoji once sent, to start a game. To compete with friends, the emoji must be sent on a group chat.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:57 pm on 19 Mar

read more at Mashable

Pope Francis joins photo-sharing site Instagram

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:04 pm on 19 Mar 2016,Saturday

Pope Francis, the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, has officially joined photo-sharing social network Instagram on Saturday. Joined under the handle 'Franciscus', his first image shows him praying, and has a caption saying “pray for me” in different languages. He already has over one lakh followers on the platform. This mark’s his second social media presence after Twitter.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:04 pm on 19 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Lava launches V2s, V2 3GB smartphones in India

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:33 pm on 19 Mar 2016,Saturday

Lava has launched the V2s and the V2 3GB camera-centric smartphones in India for ₹8,750 and ₹10,750, respectively. Both dual-SIM, 4G-enabled phones feature 5-inch HD displays, 2,500mAh batteries and are powered by 64-bit quad-core MediaTek processors. The V2 3GB sports a 13 MP camera and 3 GB RAM, whereas the V2s sports an 8 MP camera and 2 GB RAM.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:33 pm on 19 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Reach Mobile launches Cogent phone for ₹2,999

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:10 pm on 19 Mar 2016,Saturday

India-based manufacturer Reach Mobile on Thursday launched its entry-level Cogent smartphone for ₹2,999. The dual-SIM phone features a 4-inch display, 1 GB of RAM, 3.2 MP/1.3 MP cameras, a 2,000 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core ARM H7 processor. It runs the Android 5.1 Lollipop OS and is exclusively available on ShopClues in four colour variants.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:10 pm on 19 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Google may sell robot maker Boston Dynamics

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:05 pm on 19 Mar 2016,Saturday

According to Bloomberg reports, Google is looking to sell robotics firm Boston Dynamics, which it acquired in 2013, after concluding that it's unlikely to produce any marketable robot in coming years. The firm became famous by publishing videos showing its machines' versatility and reliability. Its robots, created for military purposes, were rejected because of being too noisy for practical use.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:05 pm on 19 Mar

read more at The Guardian

Smart umbrella made to alert user before rains

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:57 am on 19 Mar 2016,Saturday

Paris-based startup Wezzoo has developed 'Oombrella', a smart umbrella which alerts the user before it rains. Connected through an app, it tracks hyperlocal weather data and alerts 15 minutes before it rains. It also tracks activity and sends a notification to users if it is left behind. A smart capsule is also available separately which can turn any umbrella smart.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:57 am on 19 Mar

read more at YouTube

Video from 1984 explains how to send an e-mail

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:56 am on 19 Mar 2016,Saturday

London based Thames Television has released a video from its computer-themed programme 'Database' aired in 1984, which explains the procedure to send an e-mail. It features steps including connecting a modem to a computer, starting a computer and a live exchange of e-mail between the demonstrator and the show presenter. It also explains how to print an e-mail.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:56 am on 19 Mar

read more at YouTube

Twitter to keep 140-character limit: CEO Dorsey

short by Shankar Venkatraman / 09:49 am on 19 Mar 2016,Saturday

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey on Friday said that the microblogging site will stick to its 140-character limit, ending speculation that the company might abandon its trademark feature for a 10,000-character limit. "It's staying. It's a good constraint for us," Dorsey said. Twitter last year had dropped the 140-character limit from direct messages and allowed messages of up to 10,000 characters.

short by Shankar Venkatraman / 09:49 am on 19 Mar

read more at Reuters

Algorithm created that identifies drunk tweeting

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:56 am on 19 Mar 2016,Saturday

Researchers from the University of Rochester have developed a machine-learning algorithm that enables a computer to catch alcohol-related tweets and those sent under the influence of alcohol. Another algorithm was designed to find a Twitter user's home location to determine whether they are drinking at home or not. For this, researchers fed the system with 11,000 alcohol-related geo-tagged tweets.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:56 am on 19 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Apple engineers may quit if ordered to help FBI

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:20 pm on 18 Mar 2016,Friday

Apple employees, if ordered to help the FBI in unlocking San Bernardino shooter's iPhone, may quit their jobs rather than undermine the security of the software they made, according to current and former Apple employees. Those interviewed included former security engineers, executives and Apple engineers who are engaged in the company's development of security software and mobile products.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:20 pm on 18 Mar

read more at Mashable

Michael Kors unveils Android Wear smartwatches

short by Prashanti Moktan / 06:01 pm on 18 Mar 2016,Friday

Michael Kors has forayed into the wearables market, by unveiling its first Android Wear smartwatches on Thursday. Featuring a gold-plated design for women and a black design for men, the smartwatch supports Google's voice commands and has a built-in fitness tracker. Priced at $395 onwards, the watches will debut in department stores and Michael Kors stores later this year.

short by Prashanti Moktan / 06:01 pm on 18 Mar

read more at Mashable

Sony launches Smart Tennis Sensor in India

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:40 pm on 18 Mar 2016,Friday

Sony on Thursday launched a Smart Tennis Sensor in India that can be attached to a tennis racquet to analyse each stroke of the game. Aimed at professional players, the device can then feed the analyzed data to a smartphone. Notably, Sony has also launched other lifestyle products including an Energy 24 battery that can be charged using solar energy.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:40 pm on 18 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Intex launches Aqua 4G Strong phone at ₹4,499

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:20 pm on 18 Mar 2016,Friday

Intex has launched its Aqua 4G Strong smartphone in India at ₹4,499. The 4G LTE-enabled phone features a 4-inch display, 768 MB of RAM, a 2 MP camera, a 1,700 mAh battery and is powered by a 1 GHz quad-core MediaTek processor. It runs the Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system and is available across channels in the country.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:20 pm on 18 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Domino's Australia unveils pizza delivery robot

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:38 pm on 18 Mar 2016,Friday

Domino's Australia with Australian startup Marathon Robotics has turned a military robot into a pizza delivery robot named 'DRU'. It can speed up to 20 kmph, identify obstacles and calculate the shortest path to reach its destination. DRU has a temperature-controlled box to keep pizzas hot and drinks cold, which lets customers collect their meal on providing a unique code.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:38 pm on 18 Mar

read more at YouTube

WhatsApp beta allows texting in bold, italics

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:02 pm on 18 Mar 2016,Friday

WhatsApp has rolled out an update in beta version, allowing users to type messages in bold and italics text formats. Users can insert text between asterisks (*) to type messages in bold and between underscores (_) to type messages in italics. Further, WhatsApp has updated its document-sharing feature to let users share files from Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive accounts.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:02 pm on 18 Mar

read more at Trak.in

AP gets India’s 1st state-wide broadband project

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:14 pm on 18 Mar 2016,Friday

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday launched India’s first state-wide broadband project called AP FiberNet. Aiming to provide cheap broadband connectivity, the project will offer 15 Mbps internet to households at ₹149 per month and 100 Mbps internet to offices at ₹999 per month. This will be operational in the Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts by April.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:14 pm on 18 Mar

read more at PTI

Nintendo launches its first smartphone game

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:17 am on 18 Mar 2016,Friday

Video game company Nintendo on Thursday launched its first smartphone game, Miitomo, in Japan. The social mobile game lets players build their own cartoon avatars, called Mii, that develop personalities by asking users several questions and then go on to independently interact with their friends' Miis. Miitomo is first of the five mobile apps Nintendo hopes to release by 2017.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:17 am on 18 Mar

read more at The Next Web

JavaScript most used coding language: Survey

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:22 am on 18 Mar 2016,Friday

According to a survey by Q&A website Stack Overflow, JavaScript is the most popular development language with 55.4% of people using it. SQL was second on the list with 49.1% followed by Java (36.3%), C# (30.9%) and PHP (25.9%). Notably, the survey also revealed that Full-Stack Web Developer was the most popular developer job title.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:22 am on 18 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Microsoft rolls out Windows 10 mobile

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:56 pm on 17 Mar 2016,Thursday

Technology giant Microsoft on Thursday rolled out Windows 10 mobile, sporting features like Windows Hello, Cortana and Continuum. The update has been rolled out for select Windows Phone 8.1 devices including a series of Lumia and BLU handsets. Microsoft has also created an 'UpdateAdvisor' mobile application that will let the users know if the update is ready for their handsets.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:56 pm on 17 Mar

read more at Phys

Canon to buy Toshiba's medical unit for $5.9 bn

short by Shankar Venkatraman / 09:02 pm on 17 Mar 2016,Thursday

Japanese conglomerate Canon has agreed to buy Toshiba's medical equipment unit for $5.9 billion, as the latter is selling the unit to help fund restructuring after the company witnessed a massive accounting scandal. Canon, which makes X-ray machines and eye examination devices, is planning to expand into high-margin medical devices, as demand for cameras has "declined" in recent times.

short by Shankar Venkatraman / 09:02 pm on 17 Mar

read more at Reuters

App helps users create social shooting community

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:00 pm on 17 Mar 2016,Thursday

Houston-based Jonathan Rockett has developed ‘The Shooting Club’, an app that aims to create a “social shooting experience”. It allows users to talk to other gun owners, find the nearest shooting range and use one of the app’s targets to record their shots. Users can also scan their targets, upload it to the app and compare it with other shooters.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:00 pm on 17 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Lava launches Flair S1 smartphone at ₹4,349

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:19 pm on 17 Mar 2016,Thursday

Lava has launched its Flair S1 smartphone in India at ₹4,349. The dual-SIM phone features a 4.5-inch display, 512 MB of RAM, a 3.2 MP camera, a 1,750 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.3 GHz dual-core processor. It runs the Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system and is available in two colour variants of Champagne Gold and Black.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:19 pm on 17 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Apple Co-founder criticizes company over Watch

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:10 pm on 17 Mar 2016,Thursday

Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak wrote in an interview on Reddit on Wednesday that he no longer recognises the company he built, criticizing the creation of Apple Watch. "Twenty watches from $500 to $1,100. The band’s the only difference? Well this isn’t the company that Apple was originally, or the company that really changed the world a lot", he added.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:10 pm on 17 Mar

read more at The Guardian

Intex launches Cloud Force smartphone at ₹4,999

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:08 pm on 17 Mar 2016,Thursday

Intex has launched its Cloud Force smartphone in India at ₹4,999. The dual-SIM phone features a 5-inch display, 1 GB of RAM, a 5 MP camera, a 2,500 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core Spreadtrum processor. It runs the Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system and delivers up to nine hours of talk time.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:08 pm on 17 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

New tech developed to detect milk adulteration

short by Shrish Dixit / 07:53 pm on 17 Mar 2016,Thursday

A new technology developed by the Central Electronic Engineering Research Institute Pilani, Rajasthan, can detect any kind of adulteration in milk, said the Union Minister for Science and Technology, Harsh Vardhan, in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The technology will reportedly cost around ₹70,000 to ₹1 lakh and the detection process will take nearly 40-45 seconds.

short by Shrish Dixit / 07:53 pm on 17 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Baidu to launch driverless cars by 2018: Reports

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:04 pm on 17 Mar 2016,Thursday

According to reports, Chinese search giant Baidu is planning to roll out a “commercially viable” self-driving car by 2018. Chief scientist Andrew Ng said that the company will soon start testing driverless cars in the US. Notably, a number of companies recently testified in front of a US Senate committee to discuss possible safety regulations regarding the autonomous car industry.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:04 pm on 17 Mar

read more at The Verge

Google asks user opinion on names for Android N

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:00 pm on 17 Mar 2016,Thursday

Google is asking users their opinion on possible names for the latest Android N OS via its survey app Google Opinion Rewards. Users are first asked to name a “tasty food” that begins with N, and then asked to choose between various “tasty treats”, all starting with N. The options include Nut Brittle, Nachos, Noodles, Neapolitan Ice Cream and Nougat.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:00 pm on 17 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Twitter launches Windows 10 mobile app

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:28 pm on 17 Mar 2016,Thursday

Twitter on Wednesday launched its app on the Windows 10 Mobile operating system. The app features support for Moments, group Direct Messages, video tweets and quote tweet. Users can also access top tweets, search, check out profiles and explore Moments without logging into the app. Earlier, Twitter’s Windows app only supported PCs and tablets, and not mobile phones.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:28 pm on 17 Mar

read more at Twitter Blog

Nike launches its first self-tying shoes

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:13 pm on 17 Mar 2016,Thursday

Nike has unveiled its first self-tying shoes called ‘HyperAdapt 1.0’. Built on Nike’s adaptive lacing technology, the shoes are aimed at reducing athlete distraction and will automatically tighten as soon as the wearer steps into them. Technical lead Tiffany Beers said, “[T]here are two buttons on the side to tighten and loosen. You can adjust it until it’s perfect.”

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:13 pm on 17 Mar

read more at The Verge

77% of user traffic on Google now encrypted

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:18 am on 17 Mar 2016,Thursday

According to a new Google report, around 77% of its user traffic is now encrypted, up from 52% at the end of 2013. The statistics, which covered all Google products except YouTube, revealed that its Gmail service is completely encrypted while Maps is 83% encrypted. The report also mentioned that 95.5% of its unencrypted traffic originates from mobile devices.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:18 am on 17 Mar

read more at Google

Tech created to track finger commands in mid-air

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:13 pm on 16 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Indian-origin researchers have developed a new sonar technology called FingerIO that allows to interact with smart devices by gesturing in mid-air or on other surfaces. It turns a device into a sonar system using its microphones and speakers to track fine-grained finger movements. The project's application could enable using devices inside a pocket, as sound waves can travel through fabric.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:13 pm on 16 Mar

read more at The Financial Express

YouTube was meant to be a video-dating website

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:25 pm on 16 Mar 2016,Wednesday

According to YouTube Co-founder Steve Chen, the video-sharing platform was originally designed to be a video-based dating website. YouTube was created to let users upload videos of themselves talking about the partner of their dreams. Despite offering $20 to women to upload videos, nobody agreed to come forward after which the Co-founders opened up YouTube to all kinds of videos.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:25 pm on 16 Mar

read more at The Guardian

Tech to identify terrorists from victory signs

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:44 pm on 16 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Researchers at Jordan's Mu’tah University have developed a technology to identify terrorists from the unique “V for victory” sign they make with their hands. The team collected images of V-signs made by 50 men and women of different ages to create a database of 500 images. These images were used to create a machine learning algorithm which claims 90% accuracy.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:44 pm on 16 Mar

read more at Livemint

Instagram to reorder feed based on user interest

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:34 pm on 16 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Instagram on Tuesday announced to reorder the photos and videos in a user's feed based on the user's interest in the content, relationship with the person posting and timeliness of the post. "You may be surprised to learn that people miss on average 70 percent of their feeds," Instagram said. Until now, posts on Instagram feed were arranged chronologically backwards.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:34 pm on 16 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Sony to launch PlayStation VR at $399 in October

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:00 pm on 16 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Sony has announced to globally launch its PlayStation VR headset in October at $399. The headset features a 5.7-inch screen, 360° head tracking sensors and 100° field of view. The headset requires the PlayStation Move camera that does not come along with the PlayStation VR and costs extra. The device is compatible with DualShock 4 and PS Move controllers.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:00 pm on 16 Mar

read more at Google Blog

Pope Francis Instagram debut on March 19: Report

short by Nihal Thondepu / 03:27 pm on 16 Mar 2016,Wednesday

According to a report, Vatican spokesperson Dario Viganò revealed that Pope Francis will make his Instagram debut on March 19. He added that the Pope will post photographs using the handle 'Franciscus'. This comes after the Pope discussed "the power of images to unite people across different cultures and languages" with Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom at a private audience recently.

short by Nihal Thondepu / 03:27 pm on 16 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Headphones that convert into display device made

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:01 am on 16 Mar 2016,Wednesday

US-based startup Avegant has developed a $699 wearable display headphone 'Glyph', which lets users to play games and watch movies in 3D. When flipped forward, Glyph comes in level with the user's eyes and turns into a VR display device with 1280x720p display. It can be connected to a Playstation, smartphone, laptop or desktop to view photos and videos.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:01 am on 16 Mar

read more at YouTube

Samsung's new app creates music by humming

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:23 am on 16 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Samsung on Monday unveiled a new mobile application called 'Hum On!' that lets users create music by humming. The app allows users to edit the created track and also change the genre of the song including R&B, rock and orchestra. The created tracks can then be shared via social media, and can be used as background music, the company said.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:23 am on 16 Mar

read more at The Verge

World's first 'Wiki' was created on this day

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:10 am on 16 Mar 2016,Wednesday

The world's first ever user-editable website, or Wiki, was created on March 16, 1995. Called WikiWikiWeb, the website was developed by Ward Cunningham who described it as "the simplest online database that could possibly work". Further, it was officially launched on March 25, 1995. Notably, free online encyclopedia Wikipedia is by far the most popular wiki-based website.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:10 am on 16 Mar

read more at This Day in Tech History

Tech giants plan to improve user data encryption

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:04 am on 16 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Silicon Valley giants like Facebook, Google and Snapchat are reportedly working on increasing the user data privacy amid the Apple-FBI encryption controversy. In addition to its existing privacy features, Facebook’s WhatsApp plans to expand encryption to voice calling in coming weeks. Whereas, Snapchat is working on a secure messaging system and Google is working on an encrypted email project.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:04 am on 16 Mar

read more at The Guardian

BlankStamp lets users send anonymous emails

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:14 pm on 15 Mar 2016,Tuesday

A new web service called BlankStamp allows users to send incognito e-mails via regular e-mail accounts. If one wants to send an e-mail to 'steve@apple.com', one has to merely replace the address with 'steve_at007_apple.com@blankstamp.io' to make it incognito. BlankStamp is currently limiting the number of emails sent to five per week. Notably, users cannot add files to these e-mails yet.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 10:14 pm on 15 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Fossil launches seven new smartwatches, trackers

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:45 pm on 15 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Fossil today launched seven new devices including activity trackers, smart analog watches and Android-powered smartwatches. The Smart Analog Movement watches lets users see calories burnt and the time slept on its dial. Q Marshal and Q Wander smartwatches, priced at $275 each, lets users make calls, access Tinder and get alerts. A $95 bracelet-like fitness tracker was also launched.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:45 pm on 15 Mar

read more at Mashable

Google removes app that spied on Indian Army

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:32 pm on 15 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Google on Tuesday removed an app from its Play Store that was reportedly used by Pakistani intelligence agencies to spy on the Indian Army. Called SmeshApp, it was reportedly used during the Pathankot airbase attack to access classified information. The app allows third party access to personal information including text messages, location, phone logs and photos.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:32 pm on 15 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Hacker of FBI, NASA reveals identity: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:55 pm on 15 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Hacker behind the Team GhostShell, which is responsible for the biggest cyber attacks including attacks on the FBI, NASA and The Pentagon has reportedly revealed his identity as G Razvan Eugen. The group is also responsible for a leak including 2.5 million Russian government, educational, academic, political and law enforcement accounts. Eugen claims to be a 24-year-old based in Romania.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:55 pm on 15 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Samsung unveils new social media app 'Waffle'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:42 pm on 15 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Samsung recently unveiled its new social media mobile application called 'Waffle' which uses a picture-based grid layout user interface that resembles the grid on a waffle. According to the company, the app enables its users to post a picture on a grid, and then others in their social circle can post additional images around it, creating a 'waffle' of socialization.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:42 pm on 15 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Dell launches XPS 12, XPS 13 notebooks in India

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:16 pm on 15 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Dell has launched the XPS 12 and the XPS 13 notebooks in India for ₹1,24,990 and ₹76,990, respectively. The XPS 12 is a two-in-one device that can also be used as a laptop, while the XPS 13 is being touted as the world’s smallest 13-inch ultrabook. Both notebooks offer high-resolution displays, 8 GB of RAM and 6th-generation Intel Core processors.

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:16 pm on 15 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Microsoft announces cross-platform play for Xbox

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:12 pm on 15 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Microsoft on Tuesday announced cross-network play feature for Xbox One console that would allow the gamers to play against the PlayStation 4 console and PC users. Vehicle soccer video game Rocket League is among the first games to support this new feature. The company has also invited other networks like Sony or other console manufacturers to enable this cross-platform feature.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:12 pm on 15 Mar

read more at The Verge

Lenovo VIBE K5 Plus launched in India for ₹8,499

short by Deeksha Koli / 07:59 pm on 15 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Lenovo on Tuesday launched the VIBE K5 Plus smartphone in India for ₹8,499. The dual-SIM phone sports a 5" full HD display, 2 GB of RAM, 13 MP/5 MP cameras, a 2,750 mAh battery and is powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 616 processor. It will be exclusively available via Flipkart on March 23 in three colour variants.

short by Deeksha Koli / 07:59 pm on 15 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Google patent to detect bus for self-driving car

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:35 pm on 15 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Google has patented a technology to enable its self-driving cars to detect school buses on road to avoid accidents. Google uses a specific image recognition technology that picks up the colour and size of the school bus and triggers extra caution to the self-driving car. Notably, a Google self-driving car hit a public bus in California in February this year.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:35 pm on 15 Mar

read more at Re/code

We continue to support bitcoin: Microsoft

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:00 pm on 15 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Microsoft has clarified that the company continues to support bitcoin payments in its Windows and Xbox stores. Earlier, the Windows Store FAQ page stated that users can no longer redeem Bitcoin into their Microsoft accounts. The company said, “We apologize for inaccurate information that was inadvertently posted to a Microsoft site, which is currently being corrected.”

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:00 pm on 15 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

First domain name was registered on this day

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:37 pm on 15 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Symbolics, a Massachusetts-based computer manufacturer (now defunct), had registered the first domain of ‘symbolics.com’ on March 15, 1985. This was before the invention of the World Wide Web, when the internet was mostly used as a military and an academic tool. However, the first ever domain name to be created was 'Nordu.net'.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:37 pm on 15 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

FSSAI launches app to tackle consumer complaints

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:39 pm on 15 Mar 2016,Tuesday

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched an Android mobile app that allows consumers to complain against the quality of packaged food and the food served in ready-to-eat outlets. Consumers can check their food against the app’s safety parameters and report any food-related mishaps along with pictures. It also informs consumers about India's food safety laws.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:39 pm on 15 Mar

read more at Business Today

Six bug-sized robots pull over 1,700 kg SUV

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:21 pm on 15 Mar 2016,Tuesday

A team of Stanford University researchers has made six bug-sized micro-robots which can pull a Sports Utility Vehicle weighing over 1,700 kilograms. The six robots jointly weighed around 100 grams. One of the researchers said that the demonstration is the functional equivalent of six humans pulling a weight equal to that of the Eiffel Tower.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:21 pm on 15 Mar

read more at YouTube

OnePlus 2 prices slashed in India

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:59 pm on 15 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus has slashed the prices of its 2015 flagship phone OnePlus 2 in India. The price of the 16 GB variant has been reduced to ₹20,999 from ₹22,999, while the price of the 64 GB variant has been reduced to ₹22,999 from ₹24,999. Justifying the price cut, the company said, “[O]ur operations have sized up sufficiently”.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:59 pm on 15 Mar

Amazon files patent to let users pay with selfie

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:12 pm on 15 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Amazon has filed a patent application for a technology to let users make payments by taking a photo or a video of themselves instead of their account's password. The process involves facial recognition of the users and asking the user to perform a certain action, like blinking. It will be used on various devices including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:12 pm on 15 Mar

read more at Re/code

Smart headphones made to download, store songs

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:55 am on 15 Mar 2016,Tuesday

US-based startup Moor Industries has developed smart wireless bluetooth headphones which allow users to directly download and store media files to the headset. The Android-based headphones allow calling and feature in-built health tracker, camera, GPS, video playback, external speaker, apps including Radio and e-book reader. It allows 8 GB of storage and eight hours of playtime in single charge.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:55 am on 15 Mar

read more at IndieGoGo

Skype for Web allows landline, mobile calls

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:20 pm on 14 Mar 2016,Monday

The web version of Skype today allowed direct calling to mobile phones and landlines from its platform through subscription or Skype Credits. The Microsoft-owned service has also allowed users to watch YouTube videos within a conversation without opening a new tab. Skype further launched desktop notifications and an option to add non-Skype users to a conversation.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:20 pm on 14 Mar

read more at The Verge

Dubai to host robot Olympics in 2017

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:54 pm on 14 Mar 2016,Monday

The government of Dubai has announced to host a robot Olympics in December 2017. Officially dubbed ‘World Future Sports Games’, the three-day event aims at building sports leagues for robots and will be held every two years. The first-of-its-kind initiative will feature nine competitions including driverless car racing, robotic soccer, robotic swimming, robotic table tennis and robotic wrestling.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:54 pm on 14 Mar

read more at The Next Web

British teen leads team to drone racing title

short by Dishant Sharma / 08:15 pm on 14 Mar 2016,Monday

Luke Bannister, a 15-year-old British drone racer, has led his team Tornado X-Blades Banni UK to the first World Drone Prix title held in Dubai. The team beat the Russian and Dutch sides in the 591-metre 12-lap final race. The races, lasting around 10 minutes, saw pilots wearing head-gear linked to the live-feed from their drones.

short by Dishant Sharma / 08:15 pm on 14 Mar

read more at YouTube

InFocus Bingo 50 smartphone launched for ₹7,499

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:03 pm on 14 Mar 2016,Monday

InFocus on Monday launched the Bingo 50 smartphone in India for ₹7,499. The 4G-enabled phone features a 5" HD display, 3 GB of RAM, 8 MP/8 MP auto-focus cameras and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek processor. The dual-SIM device runs the Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS and is available in two finishes of Sandstone Gray and Leather Black.

short by Deeksha Koli / 08:03 pm on 14 Mar

read more at 91Mobiles

Qualcomm unveils virtual reality development kit

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:35 pm on 14 Mar 2016,Monday

Chip manufacturing company Qualcomm has launched a new virtual reality (VR) software development kit (SDK) for devices with Snapdragon chips. Aiming at simplifying the creation of VR games and apps, the kit provides developers with access to advanced VR features like digital signal processing sensor fusion, faster transformation of rendered images in 3D and better power management.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:35 pm on 14 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

John Oliver explains Apple-FBI encryption debate

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:23 pm on 14 Mar 2016,Monday

John Oliver, host of television show 'Last Week Tonight' on Sunday explained the ongoing debate between Apple and FBI over encryption. "FBI and its supporters don’t fully understand how technology works...or are pretending not to", Oliver said. The show concluded with a fake Apple advertisement showing the difficulties faced by Apple to be ahead of hackers and protect users' privacy.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:23 pm on 14 Mar

read more at YouTube

Microsoft stops supporting bitcoin payments

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:45 pm on 14 Mar 2016,Monday

Microsoft has stopped supporting bitcoin payments in its Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile stores. The Windows Store FAQ revealed that users can no longer redeem Bitcoin into their Microsoft accounts, however, they can still use their existing balance to buy content. Also, the available balance cannot be refunded. Notably, Microsoft had adopted support for bitcoin payments in 2014.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:45 pm on 14 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Canon launches EOS 1300D DSLR camera at ₹29,995

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:42 pm on 14 Mar 2016,Monday

Canon on Monday launched its EOS 1300D DSLR camera in India starting at ₹29,995. The entry-level camera features an 18 megapixel CMOS sensor, a 9-point auto-focusing system, five filters and is capable of capturing full HD videos. The camera comes with WiFi and NFC support and can constantly track and focus on moving subjects such as pets and children.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:42 pm on 14 Mar

read more at India Today

Telegram increases supergroup limit to 5K people

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:40 pm on 14 Mar 2016,Monday

Instant messaging app Telegram has increased the upper limit for its supergroup feature to 5,000 from 1,000 participants. Different from standard group chats, supergroups are optimized for larger number of people. It allows new members to see the entire message history and by default keeps notifications on mute. Further, when a user deletes a message, it is deleted for everyone.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:40 pm on 14 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Xiaomi to open two new production units in India

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:41 pm on 14 Mar 2016,Monday

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi will set up two more manufacturing units in India. The company’s Co-founder and President Bin Lin said, "We talked to Foxconn about opening two new factories…at least one of them will be up and running within this year”. Notably, Xiaomi’s first manufacturing plant under the 'Make in India' campaign was launched in Andhra Pradesh in 2015.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:41 pm on 14 Mar

read more at India Today

Turkey blocks FB, Twitter post blast: Reports

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:01 pm on 14 Mar 2016,Monday

According to media reports, Turkish authorities have imposed a court-ordered ban on Facebook and Twitter. This came after images of a suicide car bombing that occurred in Turkey's capital city Ankara spread on social media. A bomb-laden car exploded in the capital on Sunday, killing at least 34 people and injuring around 125 others.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:01 pm on 14 Mar

read more at Hindustan Times

American company unveils magnetic hoverboard

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:01 am on 14 Mar 2016,Monday

US-based Arx Pax unveiled a new hoverboard that uses magnetic field architecture, enabling its hover engines to float over conductive surfaces like copper and aluminium. The engines generate a magnetic field to create small closed loops of electricity called 'eddy currents' upon interacting with such surfaces. These currents then create a magnetic field within the surface, lifting the hoverboard.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:01 am on 14 Mar

read more at YouTube

Valve enables playing non-VR games on HTC Vive

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:22 pm on 13 Mar 2016,Sunday

US-based game developer Valve Corporation has announced that it has launched a beta test for the SteamVR Desktop Theater Mode, that would allow gamers to play its non-VR games on the upcoming HTC Vive VR. It would be showcased in San Francisco next week. Steam is an online platform developed by Valve, that offers social networking services and multiplayer gaming.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:22 pm on 13 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Startup develops 400x microscope for smartphone

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:11 pm on 13 Mar 2016,Sunday

A US-based startup has developed a high resolution digital microscope named 'Nurugo Micro' with 400x magnification, which fixes to a smartphone with a clip. Controlled through an Android or iOS app, it does not require any power or charging and uses a smartphone's camera for magnification. Priced at $49, the microscope is 0.5 centimetre thick and weighs 3.89 grams.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:11 pm on 13 Mar

read more at YouTube

Microsoft open-sources software bundle for Linux

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:05 pm on 13 Mar 2016,Sunday

Microsoft recently announced 'Software for Open Networking in the Cloud (SONiC)', a fully open-sourced collection of software networking components needed to build devices like network switches. The company claims that the new release can be run on any version of Linux. A network switch is a computer networking device that forwards data only to the devices that need it.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:05 pm on 13 Mar

read more at Wired

Apple reapplies for single-brand retail in India

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:02 pm on 13 Mar 2016,Sunday

Apple has resubmitted its application for opening single-brand retail stores in India. The company had first sought permission for the same in January, but due to certain gaps in the application, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) asked it for more information. Further, Xiaomi has also reportedly submitted an application to open single-brand retail stores in the country.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:02 pm on 13 Mar

read more at The Financial Express

BSNL launches WiFi service at Srinagar airport

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:12 pm on 13 Mar 2016,Sunday

State-run telecom company BSNL on Sunday launched its WiFi service at the Srinagar International Airport in Kashmir. Travelers can avail the 4G hotspot-based service free of cost for the first 15 minutes. Further, Kashmir’s General Manager Telecom, Mohammad Salim Beg, said that the service would soon be extended to other parts of the state.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:12 pm on 13 Mar

read more at Tech2

Twitter can help predict natural disaster damage

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:59 pm on 13 Mar 2016,Sunday

A study by Australian scientists found that Twitter can be used for the management, real-time monitoring, and prediction of the economic impact of natural disasters. To achieve this, hundreds of millions of geo-located tweets referencing to disaster-related topics were collected from 50 metropolitan areas in the US and were studied alongside the granted aid and insurance claims for the disasters.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:59 pm on 13 Mar

read more at India Today

Google's AI AlphaGo suffers 1st ever defeat

short by Dishant Sharma / 05:53 pm on 13 Mar 2016,Sunday

Google's DeepMind Artificial Intelligence (AI) program 'AlphaGo' suffered its first ever defeat in the fourth match of the five-match series against 'Go' world champion Lee Sedol. AlphaGo had already sealed the series after winning the third consecutive match on Saturday. The program now holds an 8-1 professional record in its nine matches played against professional 'Go' human players.

short by Dishant Sharma / 05:53 pm on 13 Mar

read more at The Verge

Bangladesh top victim of cyber crimes: Report

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:27 pm on 13 Mar 2016,Sunday

According to software security group Kaspersky, Bangladesh is top among the countries suffering from both cyber crimes and mobile malware attacks. About 22% of mobile users in Bangladesh were attacked by mobile malware in 2015, the world's highest, followed by China and Nigeria. Notably, around $100 million were recently stolen by hackers from Bangladesh Central Bank's account in US.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:27 pm on 13 Mar

read more at ANI

Software lets users access Windows desktop in VR

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:26 pm on 13 Mar 2016,Sunday

VR screen-sharing company BigScreen has developed a software that allows users to bring their entire Windows desktops into a virtual reality setting. This lets users access conventional apps on one part of their virtual monitors, while still being able to watch movies or play games on the other. The software currently supports the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift headsets.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:26 pm on 13 Mar

read more at Engadget

VR app to meet friends at virtual destinations

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:27 pm on 13 Mar 2016,Sunday

A new Virtual Reality app 'vTime' lets users to socialise and chat in real-time with friends in virtual reality at 12 destinations including space, arctic campfire, tropical beach and a private jet. Users can customise their avatars, make new friends and take selfies. Compatible with Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR headsets, the app also allows direct access from phone.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:27 pm on 13 Mar

read more at YouTube

Mark Zuckerberg lauds Google over its AI program

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:09 pm on 13 Mar 2016,Sunday

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg congratulated Google after the latter’s artificial intelligence (AI) program AlphaGo won a five-game series of the Chinese board game ‘Go’ against world champion Lee Sedol on Saturday. Zuckerberg said, “Congrats to the Google DeepMind team on this historic milestone in AI research... exciting times”. Notably, Facebook is training its own AI software to play 'Go'.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:09 pm on 13 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

BSNL plans to install 'zero base' mobile towers

short by Arjun Bhatia / 12:33 pm on 13 Mar 2016,Sunday

State-run telecommunications company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is planning to install 50 'zero base' mobile towers in India. A zero base tower can function as a wi-fi hotspot, street light and camera and has better aesthetics with radio units concealed inside its pole or underneath. BSNL is expected to develop a concept for the same in six months.

short by Arjun Bhatia / 12:33 pm on 13 Mar

read more at PTI

Smart clothing developed for tracking workout

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:11 am on 13 Mar 2016,Sunday

A US-based startup has developed machine-washable smart clothing 'Enflux' which tracks the user's workout in real-time using 10 embedded motion sensors. Connected through an app, the clothing tracks the user's workout in 3D including heart rate, efficiency and intensity. The clothing claims to be anti-odour and comes with a battery life of two weeks in a single charge.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:11 am on 13 Mar

read more at YouTube

Google's new AI may work when offline

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:45 pm on 12 Mar 2016,Saturday

According to a new research by Google, the company is working on a new personalized artificial intelligence (AI) system for voice commands that can be made to work when a phone is offline. The new system, which was found to run on an average seven times faster than real-time, was trained using around 2,000 hours of Google voice search traffic.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:45 pm on 12 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Google launches Chrome Music Lab

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:07 pm on 12 Mar 2016,Saturday

Google recently launched a new project called 'Chrome Music Lab' that offers an interactive music experience within its Chrome web browser. The website lets users explore topics such as chords, rhythm, sound waves, strings, melody maker and harmonics among others. The company has also made the source code of the project open source for other developers and musicians to use.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:07 pm on 12 Mar

read more at Engadget

App with database of stolen vehicles launched

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:32 pm on 12 Mar 2016,Saturday

Delhi’s Union Minister for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary on Friday launched an app that will hold complete data on stolen vehicles across the country. Called 'Vahan Samanvaya', the app aims at helping the police and the public trace the database of stolen vehicles. Notably, the launch took place on the 31st inception day of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:32 pm on 12 Mar

read more at PTI

Google asks applicants to redesign its homepage

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:20 pm on 12 Mar 2016,Saturday

Google is asking the job applicants for its Creative Lab division to redesign one aspect of its homepage. Candidates can access the application right from Creative Lab’s homepage and experiment with various elements including the search box, the search button and the Google logo. Notably, Google Creative Lab is a year-long internship-like program where people work on experimental technology.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:20 pm on 12 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Quitting iPhone apps doesn't save battery: Apple

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:25 pm on 12 Mar 2016,Saturday

Craig Federighi, Apple's Senior VP of Software Engineering has said quitting all the recently used apps in an iPhone does not save the phone's battery power. Apple's iOS ensures that the apps running in the background do not consume unnecessary power or battery. The iOS puts most of the apps in the frozen mode when they quit from home menu.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:25 pm on 12 Mar

read more at The Guardian

Microsoft lets Evernote users switch to OneNote

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:09 pm on 12 Mar 2016,Saturday

Microsoft on Friday launched a tool that allows users to migrate from its note-taking app Evernote to OneNote. A part of Microsoft Office, OneNote is a free-form platform that lets users store text, images, documents, handwriting, audios and videos on a single canvas. The OneNote Importer tool is currently available only for Windows.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:09 pm on 12 Mar

read more at YouTube

Amazon working on free education platform

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:49 pm on 12 Mar 2016,Saturday

Amazon is working on a free platform for schools and other educators to upload, manage and share educational materials. The company has opened an ‘Amazon Education Wait List’ where educators can sign up to receive more information on the said platform. The landing page of the waitlist reads, “[S]oon, educators... will have free and unlimited access to first-class course materials".

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:49 pm on 12 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Yahoo to shut Games, Livetext, regional websites

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:31 pm on 12 Mar 2016,Saturday

Yahoo has announced to shut down several of its products and regional websites including Yahoo Games and its video chat app Yahoo Livetext. Further, Yahoo Astrology will shut down in select regions across the world including India. The company currently wants to focus on only seven of its core consumer products, namely, Mail, Search, Tumblr, News, Sports, Finance, and Lifestyle.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:31 pm on 12 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Parrikar launches Kendriya Sainik Board portal

short by Anupama K / 12:56 pm on 12 Mar 2016,Saturday

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday launched an interactive web portal of Kendriya Sainik Board Secretariat to help ex-servicemen and their dependents in submitting online applications under various welfare schemes. The portal developed by National Informatics Centre will later have complete information about the board, its welfare schemes and allied activities.

short by Anupama K / 12:56 pm on 12 Mar

read more at ANI

Snowden starts campaign against cyber censorship

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:45 am on 12 Mar 2016,Saturday

Former CIA employee Edward Snowden and Russian feminist protest group Pussy Riot, along with ad-blocking browser extension AdBlock, have launched an online campaign to protest against cyber censorship. The campaign, displaying messages from activists, would only be visible to AdBlock users. Notably, the campaign marks the 'World Day against Cyber Censorship', which is held on March 12 every year.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:45 am on 12 Mar

read more at The Guardian

'Samsung S7 Edge' in top Google trends today

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:44 pm on 11 Mar 2016,Friday

Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge smartphones went on sale on Friday following which 'Samsung S7 Edge' was among the most trending Google searches in India. It was most googled in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. 'Captain America Civil War', 'JEE Main admit card', 'Manchester United' and 'iPhone SE' were the other trending searches on the same day.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:44 pm on 11 Mar

read more at Google

Chicago startup develops smart oven 'Tovala'

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:04 pm on 11 Mar 2016,Friday

A Chicago-based startup has developed 'Tovala', a smart oven that cooks ready-made meals provided by the startup in 10 to 30 minutes. Priced at $349, it is designed to read the barcode provided on the meals and cook them accordingly. Tovala uses an exact combination of cooking methods, timing and temperatures chosen by the chefs for each dish.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:04 pm on 11 Mar

read more at YouTube

Startup builds fully-automated smart homes

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:38 pm on 11 Mar 2016,Friday

California-based startup Brain of Things has built fully-automated apartments called ‘robot homes’. The apartments learn the residents’ habits and accordingly execute functions like switching on the lights, lifting the blinds and feeding the pets. Featuring 20 sensors each, the smart houses can detect pipe leaks and beam a live video feed on the resident’s phone if someone’s at the door.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:38 pm on 11 Mar

read more at Engadget

Wikipedia to develop speech engine for blind

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:14 pm on 11 Mar 2016,Friday

The online free encyclopedia Wikipedia in collaboration with Sweden-based KTH Royal Institute of Technology will develop the world's first crowdsourced 'speech synthesis platform', that would help its visually impaired users. The project will be initially built for English, Swedish and Arabic, which the researchers aim to complete by September 2017, before extending the platform to 280 languages.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:14 pm on 11 Mar

read more at The Verge

Users can now complain against ads via WhatsApp

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:38 pm on 11 Mar 2016,Friday

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has allowed consumers to file complaints against “false, misleading or offensive” ads through WhatsApp. Consumers can now send pictures, screen shots and links of print ads, hoardings, packaging, websites and videos to +91 77-100-12345. The advertising watchdog will initially lodge suo-moto complaints and then take them further if found valid.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:38 pm on 11 Mar

read more at Business Today

Google offers live cricket updates

short by Shrish Dixit / 07:23 pm on 11 Mar 2016,Friday

Google has rolled out an update on both Android and iOS ahead of the iCC World T20 that will enable users live scores, match stats and match results. Users can type "cricket match" in the Google search bar to get the most recent updates or ball-by-ball summary without the need to jump to another app.

short by Shrish Dixit / 07:23 pm on 11 Mar

read more at The Next Web

VR gloves turn hands into game controllers

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:16 pm on 11 Mar 2016,Friday

Dutch company Manus VR has developed virtual reality gloves that essentially turn users’ hands into game controllers. Using high-tech sensors, the washable gloves allow players to use natural hand and finger motions to play VR games instead of using external handheld controllers. The gloves cost $250 and are compatible with HTC Vive VR, Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR headsets.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:16 pm on 11 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Delhi doctor makes app to prevent heart attack

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:04 pm on 11 Mar 2016,Friday

Rajeev Rathi, a Delhi-based cardiologist has made an app called 'The Heart App', which lets users find out in advance if they are on risk of a heart attack. It diagnoses the user by asking a series of questions that a cardiologist asks to a patient. Based on the diagnosis, it tells the level of risk and suggests preventive measures.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:04 pm on 11 Mar

read more at YouTube

First digital music player debuted on this day

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:10 pm on 11 Mar 2016,Friday

The first ever digital music player, 'MPMan', was launched on March 11, 1997. It was the first mass-produced portable solid state digital audio player. Priced at $250, MPMan came with 32 MB storage space that allowed users to hold eight songs. The player weighed 65 grams and featured a docking station to connect to a computer.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:10 pm on 11 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

InFocus launches Bingo 20 smartphone for ₹5,749

short by Deeksha Koli / 04:30 pm on 11 Mar 2016,Friday

InFocus on Thursday launched the Bingo 20 smartphone in India for ₹5,749. The dual-SIM phone features a 4.5" display, 1 GB of RAM, 8 MP/5 MP cameras, a 2,300 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core Spreadtrum Shark L processor. It runs the Android 5.1 Lollipop OS and will be available across channels in three colour variants.

short by Deeksha Koli / 04:30 pm on 11 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Yahoo lets users create account with any e-mail

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:16 pm on 11 Mar 2016,Friday

Yahoo has announced an update that lets users sign up for its services without having to specially create a new Yahoo e-mail address. Users can now access Yahoo platforms through their existing e-mail addresses including Gmail and Outlook. The feature is currently operational for Yahoo Fantasy Sports and will soon roll out for Yahoo Finance, Yahoo News and Yahoo Messenger.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:16 pm on 11 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Wikipedia's new iOS app focuses on customization

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:35 pm on 11 Mar 2016,Friday

Wikipedia on Thursday launched an upgraded version of its iOS app. The update focuses on offering users personalized articles and images through the new 'Explore Feed' feature. Further, the app features support for offline reading and navigating through multi-touch gestures like swipe, tap and 3D Touch. Users can also search the app using emojis.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:35 pm on 11 Mar

read more at Google

Phone's fingerprint scanner can be fooled: Study

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:28 pm on 10 Mar 2016,Thursday

Fingerprint scanners on smartphones can be fooled by using an inkjet-printed paper with the required scan on it, according to a study by Michigan State University researchers. In the study, researchers revealed that they were able to unlock Samsung Galaxy S6 and Huawei Honor 7 by using 2D fingerprints on a special 'AgIC' paper printed with a special conductive ink.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:28 pm on 10 Mar

Sony says Oculus Rift better than PlayStation VR

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:23 pm on 10 Mar 2016,Thursday

Masayasu Ito, the Executive Vice President of Sony's video game console PlayStation, admitted in a recent interview that the PlayStation Virtual Reality (VR) will not match the VR quality of the Oculus Rift. He also said that the PlayStation VR "is more for everyday use, so it has to be easy to use and it has to be affordable".

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:23 pm on 10 Mar

read more at Engadget

BSNL to offer video-on-demand services

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:06 pm on 10 Mar 2016,Thursday

State-run telecom company BSNL has partnered with Tata Sky to offer video-on-demand services across India. Under this first-of-its-kind partnership between a public and a private entity, connectivity and bandwidth will be provided by BSNL and content will be provided by Tata Sky. Currently, Tata Sky has around 4,000 titles available on its platform.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:06 pm on 10 Mar

read more at Trak.in

SmartCane helps blind people detect obstacles

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:54 pm on 10 Mar 2016,Thursday

Robotics researcher and inventor Dr Rohan Paul has developed a smart navigation cane for the visually impaired which uses ultrasonic waves to detect obstructions that fall above the waist. Called SmartCane, the device costs ₹3,500 and is used by over 10,000 people across India. Notably, the traditional white cane cannot detect obstacles that fall above the waist.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:54 pm on 10 Mar

read more at The Better India

Panasonic T50 smartphone launched for ₹4,990

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 07:37 pm on 10 Mar 2016,Thursday

Panasonic on Thursday launched the T50 smartphone in India at ₹4,990. The dual-SIM phone features a 4.5-inch display, 5MP/2MP cameras, a 1,600mAh battery, 1 GB of RAM and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor. The T50 runs the Android Lollipop operating system and is available in three colour variants across online and offline retail channels.

short by Nitansh Rastogi / 07:37 pm on 10 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

UC Browser, Twitter tie up for cricket content

short by Davis James / 07:36 pm on 10 Mar 2016,Thursday

UC Browser, popular on mobile phones, has tied up with micro-blogging site Twitter and tech giant Microsoft's search engine Bing to provide a mobile gateway to live cricket content in India. Twitter will provide live, public and conversational content related to the matches on UC Cricket, while Bing will provide predictions for upcoming matches through Bing Predicts.

short by Davis James / 07:36 pm on 10 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Facebook acquires face-swapping app MSQRD

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:37 pm on 10 Mar 2016,Thursday

Facebook has acquired face-swapping app MSQRD, built by Belarus-based startup Masquerade, that allows users to add a range of filters to smartphone-generated videos. Through this acquisition, the details of which were not disclosed, Facebook aims at enhancing its video services. Notably, MSQRD will continue to operate as a standalone app for both iOS and Android.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:37 pm on 10 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Google launches developer preview of Android N

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:33 pm on 10 Mar 2016,Thursday

Google on Wednesday launched the first developer preview of its latest Android N operating system. The updates in Android N include improved notifications, split-screen view, picture-in-picture mode, improved Java 8 language support and better battery saving ability. Notably, Google plans to roll out Android N previews in five phases before finally releasing it in Q3 2016.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:33 pm on 10 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Lollipop becomes most used Android version

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:08 am on 10 Mar 2016,Thursday

Google recently published the latest Android device share statistics which showed that Lollipop has become the most-used version of Android, claiming 36.1% of device share, edging past KitKat's 34.3%. The Jelly Bean version holds a 22.3% device share while the latest Android version Marshmallow, released in second half of 2015, is being used in 2.3% of all Android devices.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:08 am on 10 Mar

read more at Engadget

Blue Origin may test human space flights by 2017

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:06 am on 10 Mar 2016,Thursday

Amazon and space travel company Blue Origin founder, Jeff Bezos said on Tuesday that Blue Origin expects to launch its first passengers into space by 2017. Thousands have expressed interest in paying for a trip on a suborbital craft, he added. Notably, Blue Origin has successfully completed two launch missions so far and was the first to reuse a rocket.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 12:06 am on 10 Mar

read more at The Guardian

Garmin launches new fitness tracker at ₹14,999

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:19 pm on 09 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Garmin on Wednesday launched a new fitness tracker 'vivosmart HR' at ₹14,999 in India. Connected through an app, it relays notifications including calls, texts, calendar reminders and emails on a smartphone. The waterproof device tracks activities including floors climbed, steps walked, distance covered, calories burnt, heart rate and also sports an always-on sunlight touchscreen display.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:19 pm on 09 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Mozilla releases video chat app 'Firefox Hello'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:54 pm on 09 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Mozilla on Wednesday rolled out an update for its open-source web browser Firefox for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android platforms, featuring a new free cross-browser video chat app called 'Firefox Hello'. The new app doesn’t require its users to sign up to receive calls, but the same would be needed for adding contacts and calling the contacts directly.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:54 pm on 09 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Google AI beats 'Go' World champion in 1st match

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:19 pm on 09 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Google's DeepMind Artificial Intelligence (AI) 'AlphaGo' on Wednesday defeated the 33-year-old 'Go' World champion Lee Sedol from Korea in the first match of their five-match battle. China-originated 'Go' is a board game played on a 19x19 matrix and is considered to be more complex than chess. Notably, the AI had defeated the European champion 5-0 earlier in the year.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:19 pm on 09 Mar

read more at Engadget

New Apple Watch app lets users find lost iPhone

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:27 pm on 09 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Mobile security firm Lookout has launched a new app for Apple Watch that lets users locate a lost or stolen iPhone by pointing them to its last known location. The app triggers a loud 'scream' or sound alert on iPhone which lets the user find a misplaced phone. It also alerts the users when they leave their iPhone behind.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:27 pm on 09 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Google launches feature to plan trips on mobile

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:58 pm on 09 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Google has launched a new feature called 'Destinations' which allows planning trips via smartphone using Google's search engine. A user needs to search for a state, country, or continent and add the word "vacation" or "destination" for information on spots to visit and compare prices for conveyance and accommodation. Results can also be personalised based on the budget and schedule.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:58 pm on 09 Mar

read more at YouTube

New York startup makes 'smart' pill dispenser

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:59 am on 09 Mar 2016,Wednesday

New York-based startup Hero has developed a smart pill dispenser that automatically alerts a user to take medication and dispenses the pills. Controlled through an app, the dispenser can hold 10 different pills at a time and alerts the user whenever a dose is taken or skipped. The device always asks for a user's approval before dispensing a dose.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:59 am on 09 Mar

read more at Mashable

New bionic fingertip lets amputees feel textures

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:51 am on 09 Mar 2016,Wednesday

A new bionic fingertip, developed by scientists in Switzerland and Italy, helped Dennis Aabo Sørensen, who lost his arm last year, to feel different textures in real-time. With this, Sørensen was able to distinguish between rough and smooth surfaces 96% of the time. Upon moving the fingertip across a texture, it generates an electrical signal to imitate the nervous system.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:51 am on 09 Mar

read more at Wired

Facebook announces free WordPress plugin

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:43 am on 09 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Facebook on Monday announced its partnership with Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, to release a free WordPress plugin that would allow publishers to post Instant Articles on the social network. The company said that the new plugin would be made available by April 12, 2016. Notably, the open-source publishing platform WordPress powers over 25% of sites on the web.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:43 am on 09 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Microsoft to end Skype support for TV app

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:13 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Microsoft recently announced that it will be ending Skype support for its TV application starting June 2016. Revealing these changes, the company has blamed the mobile devices for the mentioned changes to its Skype TV application. "TV manufacturers may remove the Skype for TV application from some or all of their models", Microsoft added.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:13 pm on 08 Mar

read more at The Verge

Facebook uses AI to create population map

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:03 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

In a Facebook post, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the company has built an artificial intelligence (AI) technology that analyzed 15.6 billion satellite images to create population maps across 21.6 million square kilometers. By doing so, Facebook could understand where to send its solar-powered planes to provide internet access. These results will be shared openly for other organisations, he added.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:03 pm on 08 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Truecaller to phase out its Truedialer app

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 11:00 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Truecaller has announced plans to phase out its standalone Truedialer app that helps users better manage their contacts. The key features of the app, launched in 2014, will be merged into the main Truecaller app. In addition to helping users identify unknown telephone numbers, Truecaller will now sport a built-in dialer, a ‘smart call history’ feature and an ‘availability’ feature.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 11:00 pm on 08 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Apple to pay $450 mn for e-book price fixing

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:33 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

The US Supreme Court on Monday ruled that Apple must pay $450 million to end a lawsuit against the company which states that it conspired with five publishers including Penguin and HarperCollins to increase e-book prices. The Justice Department had earlier said that the scheme caused some e-book prices to rise to $12.99 or $14.99 from $9.99 charged on Amazon.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:33 pm on 08 Mar

read more at Firstpost

Startup makes portable smart water purifier

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:10 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

A US-based startup has developed a smart reverse osmosis water purifier 'WaterO', which displays purification levels and reminds the user to stay hydrated. Controlled through an app, the 3-litre capacity purifier does not need any plumbing for installation and lets the user select the amount of water to be dispensed. The app also alerts user for timely exchange of filters.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:10 pm on 08 Mar

read more at YouTube

Microsoft announces SQL Server database on Linux

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:36 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Microsoft on Monday announced that it will launch its database software SQL Server on Linux operating system in 2017. A preview version of the software has been made available on Linux, sporting the core relational database features of SQL Server 2016. The company also said that it will roll-out some performance improving features like in-memory database support on Thursday.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:36 pm on 08 Mar

read more at The Verge

India's telecom subscriber base reaches 1,036 mn

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:01 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

According to TRAI, India reached a total telecom subscriber base of 1036.41 million by the end of 2015. This constituted around 97.5% mobile subscribers and 2.4% wireline subscribers. Notably, wireline subscriptions have continuously fallen over the last five years. Further, 67.37 million new mobile subscribers were added in 2015, which was around 10 million more than in 2014.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:01 pm on 08 Mar

read more at Trak.in

B'luru man rewarded $15,000 for finding FB bug

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:17 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Facebook has rewarded Bengaluru-based Anand Prakash with $15,000 for finding a vulnerability in the social networking website. The bug, that revolved around Facebook’s mechanism for resetting passwords, enabled Prakash to successfully hack his own account and set a new password for it. Notably, Facebook immediately acknowledged the issue and fixed the vulnerability.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:17 pm on 08 Mar

read more at Tech2

Zebronics launches ZEB-VR headset for ₹1,600

short by Deeksha Koli / 07:36 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Joining the VR headset bandwagon, domestic electronics company Zebronics on Tuesday launched the ZEB-VR virtual reality headset in India for ₹1,600. The headset is compatible with most Android smartphones sized between 4.5 inches to 6 inches. Further, it sports a magnet toggle switch and motion sensors for immersive gaming. The headset is available exclusively on Snapdeal.

short by Deeksha Koli / 07:36 pm on 08 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Google Photos adds Live Photos support on iOS

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:22 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Google Photos, the service that allows users to back-up media content, has rolled out support for Live Photos on iOS. These images will be designated with a ‘Live Photo’ icon at the top of the screen, which users will be able to activate through 3D touch. However, if Live Photos are downloaded back to Apple devices, they will become static.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:22 pm on 08 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

1st ever permanent VR cinema debuts in Amsterdam

short by Prashanti Moktan / 06:06 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

The world's first permanent Virtual Reality Cinema theatre has been launched in Amsterdam by creative agency Samhoud Media. Moviegoers at the VR Cinema will be placed in swivel chairs and given a Samsung Gear VR with a pair of Sennheiser headphones for the viewing experience. The company introduced the concept in 2015 with VR cinema kiosks.

short by Prashanti Moktan / 06:06 pm on 08 Mar

read more at Mashable

BLU launches Diva II and Tank II feature phones

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:22 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

BLU has launched its Diva II and Tank II feature phones in India at ₹1,649 and ₹1,299, respectively. The Diva II features a built-in antenna for analogue TV, a 2.4-inch display and 32 MB of RAM. The Tank II features a 2.4-inch display and 32 MB of RAM. The dual-SIM phones sport VGA cameras and are exclusively available on Amazon India.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:22 pm on 08 Mar

Facebook revamps its Messenger app

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:01 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Facebook has launched a revamped version of its Messenger app on Android. The Material Design-styled overhaul features a blue navigation bar at the top of the screen with buttons to access chat, groups and settings, among other things. At the bottom, there's a floating action button that lets users carry out common actions like search, adding contacts and making a call.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:01 pm on 08 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Google in talks with telcos for Project Loon

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:05 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Google is in talks with telecom operators including BSNL to launch its pilot Project Loon in India. Rajan Anandan, VP and Managing Director of Google Southeast Asia and India said "we are talking to a number of them”, adding "the government has been very supportive". Project Loon uses balloons instead of cellular towers to provide internet access in remote areas.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:05 pm on 08 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Google hires 4chan founder Chris Poole

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:20 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Google has hired Chris Poole, the Founder of image-board website 4chan, to reportedly help the company tackle social media. 4chan allows users to anonymously share images on the platform without registering an account. This has lead to the online bulletin board facing instances of abuse and trolling in the past. Notably, Poole had founded 4chan at the age of 15.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:20 pm on 08 Mar

read more at The Guardian

India-born scientist claims he invented email

short by Nihal Thondepu / 03:08 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

India-born US inventor Dr Shiva Ayyadurai has claimed that he invented the full email system in 1978 and not the recently deceased Ray Tomlinson. He argued that Tomlinson's internal messaging experiment could only send text messages between computers, which is not email. He said Tomlinson's employer “rewrote history as it serves to enhance their brand in the lucrative cyber-security market”.

short by Nihal Thondepu / 03:08 pm on 08 Mar

Samsung launches Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in India

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:38 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Samsung today launched its Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones in India, priced at ₹48,900 and ₹56,900 respectively. Both the phones are water and dust resistant and feature glass-metal design, 'always-on-display' and dual pixel technology for pictures in low light. S7 and S7 Edge sport a 5.1-inch and 5.5-inch display with the company offering free Gear VR headset on pre-order.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:38 pm on 08 Mar

Sennheiser launches four new headphones in India

short by Deeksha Koli / 02:20 pm on 08 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Germany-based Sennheiser on Monday launched its new range of Momentum headphones in India starting at ₹15,990. The series includes Momentum Wireless on-ear, Momentum Wireless over-ear, Momentum M2 on-ear, and Momentum M2 over-ear headphones. The devices, available in two colour variants, feature noise cancellation, in-built microphones, Bluetooth support and powerful bass with clear sound output.

short by Deeksha Koli / 02:20 pm on 08 Mar

read more at 91Mobiles

FB will become biggest virtual graveyard: Study

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:58 pm on 07 Mar 2016,Monday

Facebook will become the world’s biggest virtual graveyard by 2098, according to researchers from the University of Massachusetts. The social network, which currently has 1.5 billion users worldwide, will also have more profiles of dead people than of living users by the end of the century. This will happen because Facebook refuses to delete the accounts of dead users.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:58 pm on 07 Mar

Startup develops back display screen for iPhone

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:05 pm on 07 Mar 2016,Monday

A US-based startup has developed 'popSLATE 2', a 0.16-inch thick back display screen for Apple iPhone which comes with integrated battery and works as an e-reader and a smartwatch. It runs on e-ink and allows real-time update of events and switching between apps without unlocking the phone. The screen is compatible with iPhone 6, 6s, 6 Plus and 6s Plus.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:05 pm on 07 Mar

read more at YouTube

Fitbit launches Blaze smartwatch for ₹19,999

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:38 pm on 07 Mar 2016,Monday

Fitbit has launched its fitness smartwatch Blaze in India for ₹19,999. The touchscreen device can track a user’s steps, distance travelled, calories burned, floors climbed, active minutes and heart rate. It sports a coloured display, interchangeable accessories and various clock faces. The smartwatch will be available exclusively via Amazon India in three colour variants and two size variants.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:38 pm on 07 Mar

read more at Tech2

Jio to offer free WiFi at 6 stadiums during WT20

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:21 pm on 07 Mar 2016,Monday

Reliance Jio will offer its soon-to-be-launched 4G WiFi services for free at six stadiums across India during the T-20 World Cup scheduled to start on March 15. The venues include M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru; Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala; Eden Gardens, Kolkata; Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali; Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi and Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:21 pm on 07 Mar

read more at Trak.in

Apple's Mac attacked by ransomware for 1st time

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:32 pm on 07 Mar 2016,Monday

According to security firm Palo Alto, Apple’s Mac computers have been attacked by the ransomware malware for the first time. Ransomware encrypts data on infected machines and then asks users to pay ransoms in hard-to-trace digital currencies to retrieve it. The malware typically targets Microsoft’s Windows OS and begets hackers estimated ransoms of hundreds of millions of dollars every year.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:32 pm on 07 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Writing app deletes progress if one stops typing

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:51 pm on 07 Mar 2016,Monday

San Francisco-based Manuel Ebert has designed a writing app, called ‘The Most Dangerous Writing App’, that deletes all of the users’ progress if one stops typing. Writers can choose how long they want to write for, after which the web-based tool expects one to write non-stop until the clock runs out. Users can take a maximum pause of five seconds.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:51 pm on 07 Mar

read more at Trak.in

FBI demand risks safety of all iOS users: Apple

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:21 pm on 07 Mar 2016,Monday

Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, has said that FBI's demand to unlock and decrypt data from a San Bernardino shooter's iPhone will risk the safety of all iOS users. "FBI’s request would create a security hole that could be exploited by criminals," Craig said, adding that it would also negate years of work by Apple engineers.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:21 pm on 07 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Intex launches Aqua Twist with rotating camera

short by Deeksha Koli / 04:58 pm on 07 Mar 2016,Monday

Intex on Monday launched the Aqua Twist smartphone for ₹5,199. The dual-SIM phone sports a 5 MP rotating camera that can double up as both the rear and the front camera. It features a 5" display, 1 GB of RAM and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek processor. The device will be available in two colour variants.

short by Deeksha Koli / 04:58 pm on 07 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

First PS4 game developed entirely in China

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:42 pm on 07 Mar 2016,Monday

Oasis Games has developed ‘KOI’, the first ever PS4 game to have been made entirely in China. The game, to be showcased at the Game Developers Conference this month, features a "fish’s journey to cleanse waters polluted by mankind". Notably, only last year, China lifted its country-wide ban on the sale of gaming consoles.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:42 pm on 07 Mar

read more at Engadget

Site shows what it's like to read with dyslexia

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:35 pm on 07 Mar 2016,Monday

A developer has posted a web-based approximation of dyslexic reading in a bid to highlight what it is like to read with the disorder. The webpage actively scrambles letters using JavaScript, forcing readers to concentrate on each word to make sense of what they are reading. The source code for the same is also available for users to see how this applies on other websites.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:35 pm on 07 Mar

read more at The Verge

Graham Bell patented the telephone on this day

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:31 am on 07 Mar 2016,Monday

Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for his invention of the telephone on March 7, 1876. Bell wanted to create a device that combined the aspects of the telegraph and the record player to allow individuals to transmit speech over wires. The first intelligible telephone message, sent from Bell to his assistant, was, “Mr. Watson, come here, I need you”.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:31 am on 07 Mar

read more at Mashable

Google Glass to help remotely track experiments

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:34 pm on 06 Mar 2016,Sunday

Researchers have found a way to remotely monitor experiments on tiny models of human organs using Google Glass. Such experiments simulate the activities, mechanics and physiological responses of entire organs and organ systems and require near-constant monitoring. Through this, researchers can also run experiments involving highly infectious bacteria or radioactive materials from a safe distance.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:34 pm on 06 Mar

New extension lets users replace FB's Reactions

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:08 pm on 06 Mar 2016,Sunday

A new Firefox and Google Chrome browser extension, Reaction Packs, allows users to swap Facebook's built-in ‘Reactions’ emojis with its own sets of custom emojis. These sets include themes like Pokémon, Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Facebook recently launched ‘Reactions’ as an alternative to its ‘Like’ button that lets users express emotions like love, sadness and anger.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:08 pm on 06 Mar

read more at Mashable

Amazon to restore device encryption on Fire OS

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:26 pm on 06 Mar 2016,Sunday

Less than a day after Amazon dropped its on-device encryption support for the Fire OS, the company announced to restore the feature. A spokesperson said, “We will return the option for full disk encryption with a Fire OS update coming this spring”. Notably, the decision to drop the said feature was met with criticism by a majority of customers.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:26 pm on 06 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Anti-drone gun made to capture drones with net

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:58 am on 06 Mar 2016,Sunday

A team of English engineers have developed a drone defence gun 'SkyWall 100' which captures unwanted drones in a range of 100 metres by firing nets at them. The gun weighs around 10 kilogram and uses a smart scope that automatically calibrates the drone’s speed and distance to fire net. Once trapped, a parachute brings the drone to the ground.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:58 am on 06 Mar

read more at YouTube

DARPA unveils vertical take off aircraft concept

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:01 am on 06 Mar 2016,Sunday

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the US Department of Defense recently unveiled the concept design for its latest vertical take off and landing aircraft called X-Plane. The aircraft, which can reach a speed of 740.8 kmph, will use a 4,000-horsepower engine creating three megawatts of electricity to power 24 fans for creating the required thrust.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 01:01 am on 06 Mar

read more at YouTube

Google Cast gets analytics tool for developers

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:37 pm on 05 Mar 2016,Saturday

Google on Saturday launched dedicated developer analytics tools for its Google Cast software, which lets people stream media from their PCs and mobile devices to TVs and speakers. Developers would be able to analyse their data by geography and operating systems. The new addition features a tab for each metric, an interactive graph of metrics and tables containing recent data.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:37 pm on 05 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

BlackBerry seeks alternatives to WhatsApp

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:25 pm on 05 Mar 2016,Saturday

After WhatsApp announced to end support for the BlackBerry OS by late 2016, Blackberry said that it is “actively exploring alternatives for… users”. Further, the company is building more features into BBM like updating group and multi-person chats. BlackBerry said, “We’re giving you ever more privacy and security by allowing you to control previews”.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:25 pm on 05 Mar

Boeing develops self-cleaning toilet

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:23 pm on 05 Mar 2016,Saturday

Boeing has built prototype of a self-cleaning lavatory which uses ultraviolet (UV) light to sanitise the lavatory surfaces and remove bacterial odour in three seconds. The lavatory, combined with touch-less faucets and soap dispensers, claims that the UV light is not harmful to human skin. The cleaning system is also capable of lifting and closing the toilet seat by itself.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:23 pm on 05 Mar

read more at YouTube

Google files patent for AR-based book

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:29 pm on 05 Mar 2016,Saturday

Google has filed a patent for an augmented reality-based "Interactive Book" that would feature motion and pressure sensors embedded within its pages. Further, the sensors would project visuals onto the pages through a small device seated at the book's spine. The book would also feature embedded speakers to further enhance the on-page action.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:29 pm on 05 Mar

read more at Engadget

Glasses that projects images on retina developed

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:22 pm on 05 Mar 2016,Saturday

Japanese company QD Laser along with the University of Tokyo has developed a new type of glasses, fitted with a camera, that captures images and projects them directly on the retina using a laser. The glasses, expected to be widely available by 2017 end, could help people suffering from problems on the outer parts of their eyes.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:22 pm on 05 Mar

read more at Daily Mail

Apple gets UN support in FBI case

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:15 pm on 05 Mar 2016,Saturday

Apple has gained support from Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN’s Commissioner for Human Rights, in the legal tussle with FBI over unlocking and encrypting data from a San Bernardino shooter's iPhone. Hussein said weakening encryption protections could "endanger lives". Hussein added a successful case against Apple will make it impossible for international IT companies to safeguard their client's privacy.

short by Pragya Swastik / 07:15 pm on 05 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Google may let celebs post directly to search

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:50 pm on 05 Mar 2016,Saturday

Google is experimenting with allowing celebrities and brands to directly post to its search results page. This new format will let any celebrity or organization have a dedicated Twitter-like feed built right into Google’s search engine. Further, users will be able to share individual posts directly from the search results page, but not like or comment on any of them.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:50 pm on 05 Mar

read more at The Verge

Donald Trump's AI-powered Twitterbot developed

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:09 pm on 05 Mar 2016,Saturday

Bradley Hayes, a student at MIT's Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science Lab, has developed an AI-powered Twitterbot named @DeepDrumpf. The bot learns Trump's underlying language structure through his speeches and debate transcripts, and uses deep learning techniques to recreate his language. The bot’s name comes after comedian John Oliver recently revealed Trump's ancestral name 'Drumpf'.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:09 pm on 05 Mar

read more at Engadget

Adcom to take legal action against Ringing Bells

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:45 pm on 05 Mar 2016,Saturday

Domestic phone brand Adcom on Friday announced to take legal action against Ringing Bells for passing on the former’s handsets as its own. Adcom claims to have sold its handsets to Ringing Bells at ₹3,600 per unit. Adcom said, “[O]ur mobile phone has been presented to masses for ₹251… we were absolutely unaware of the reselling plans of the company”.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:45 pm on 05 Mar

SpaceX rocket crash lands on floating drone ship

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:51 pm on 05 Mar 2016,Saturday

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket crash landed on a floating drone ship in the sea on Saturday. It was returning after successfully launching the SES-9 telecommunications satellite into space. CEO Elon Musk said, “Rocket landed hard on the drone ship. Didn't expect this one to work (v hot reentry).” This was SpaceX's fourth attempt to re-land the Falcon 9 at sea.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:51 pm on 05 Mar

read more at Twitter

Government to digitalize 1.5 lakh post offices

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:02 pm on 05 Mar 2016,Saturday

As part of the ‘Digital India’ campaign, the government will digitalize 1.5 lakh post offices across India, including 1.3 lakh post offices in rural areas, by March 2017. A budget of ₹4,909 crore has been allocated for the same. Further, postmen across the country would be provided with solar-powered handheld devices that would be connected to national data centers.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:02 pm on 05 Mar

read more at Trak.in

Startup makes smart headband for quality sleep

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:02 am on 05 Mar 2016,Saturday

French startup Rhythm on Thursday launched a smart $350 headband 'Dreem', which enhances the sleep quality of the user. It recognises the user's sleep pattern by measuring brain waves and stimulates 'ocean-like' sound to keep the user in deep sleep for an extended period. The device also records and analyses user's sleep patterns on a dedicated Android or iOS app.

short by Pragya Swastik / 10:02 am on 05 Mar

read more at Engadget

Physicists make energy-efficient magnetic memory

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:56 pm on 04 Mar 2016,Friday

Dutch physicists have discovered a new way to make Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM) more efficient by using a current pulse. MRAM is faster and more efficient than other kinds of data storage but requires high volume of electrical power. The new concept uses current pulse to bend the electrons in an MRAM bit, making it faster and more energy-efficient.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:56 pm on 04 Mar

read more at The Verge

Chinese startup creates pocket-sized laptop

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:12 pm on 04 Mar 2016,Friday

Chinese startup GPD has created a $299 pocket-sized gaming laptop 'Win', which integrates a joystick, mouse and keyboard. The 15.5 centimetre long laptop runs on Windows 10 and features a 5.5-inch display with multi-touch support, 64 GB in-built memory, 4 GB RAM and runs 6-8 hours on single charge. It also becomes a gaming console when connected to a television.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:12 pm on 04 Mar

read more at IndieGoGo

Emoji-based coding language Emojicode developed

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:16 pm on 04 Mar 2016,Friday

A new emoji-based coding language, Emojicode, enables programmers to build fast, cross-platform applications using emojis. Open-source and multi-paradigm, Emojicode aims to become the first high-level programming language that uses emojis to structure a program and its flow. It can be executed by the Emojicode Real-Time Engine, which is claimed to be faster than the average virtual machine.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:16 pm on 04 Mar

read more at The Next Web

'Will support Mac if good computer released'

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:22 pm on 04 Mar 2016,Friday

Palmer Luckey, the Founder of virtual reality company Oculus VR, has said that the company’s VR headset Rift will start supporting MacBooks if Apple “ever releases a good computer”. Luckey explained that Apple computers are not designed to handle the graphical-processing demands of VR software. He added, “It just boils down to the fact that Apple doesn’t prioritize high-end GPUs”.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:22 pm on 04 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Instagram bans users from linking to Snapchat

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:48 pm on 04 Mar 2016,Friday

Instagram has banned users from putting 'add me' links to messaging apps Telegram and Snapchat in their profile bios. Such deep links allow users to quickly follow profiles on other social networks. The company said, “This was… not the way our platform was intended to be used”. Notably, users can still put links to other social networks in their profiles.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:48 pm on 04 Mar

read more at The Verge

LinkedIn open-sources metadata management tool

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:04 pm on 04 Mar 2016,Friday

LinkedIn on Thursday open-sourced its metadata management tool called WhereHows. The software allows users to track specific types of data available under LinkedIn’s management, serving up information on more than 25,000 publicly shared data sets. It also lets users run wide-ranging searches and share subsequent information. The software is now available on GitHub under an open-source license.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:04 pm on 04 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Samsung launches its T3 external SSD in India

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:02 pm on 04 Mar 2016,Friday

Samsung has launched its T3 external solid state drive (SSD) in India starting at ₹10,999. The palm-sized SSD is compatible with a range of USB-supported devices and is available in four variants of 250 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB. Featuring the AES-256 bit hardware encryption and a shock-resistant internal frame, it will start selling on March 21.

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:02 pm on 04 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Samsung to launch VR roller coasters in the US

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:36 pm on 04 Mar 2016,Friday

Samsung has partnered with Six Flags, one of world's largest amusement park operators, to launch VR roller coasters at nine amusements parks in the US. Backed by Samsung’s Gear VR headset, the rides will offer visitors additional sensory experiences like being sent to the future to save the world. This is being called the “first-ever interactive gameplay technology on a roller coaster.”

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:36 pm on 04 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Amazon launches two new voice-assisted speakers

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:07 pm on 04 Mar 2016,Friday

Amazon has launched two voice-assisted speakers namely the Amazon Tap and the Echo Dot. The Amazon Tap is a portable device featuring dual stereo speakers and support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The Echo Dot is a compact speaker that can understand voice commands from 20 feet away and can only be ordered through Amazon's existing digital voice assistant device Echo.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:07 pm on 04 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Delhi biggest smartphone market in India: IDC

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:51 pm on 04 Mar 2016,Friday

According to a new report on smartphone sales by research firm IDC, Delhi has beaten Mumbai to become the biggest smartphone market in India. Further, 4G has set a new record by accounting for 45% of all online smartphone sales in urban India. Overall, Samsung emerged as the largest mobile brand in the country, followed by Micromax and Lenovo, respectively.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:51 pm on 04 Mar

read more at India Today

Lava launches Iris Fuel F2 smartphone for ₹4,444

short by Deeksha Koli / 03:20 pm on 04 Mar 2016,Friday

Lava on Friday launched the Iris Fuel F2 smartphone in India for ₹4,444. The dual-SIM phone sports a 3,000 mAh battery that can deliver 15.5 hours of talk time on 3G. Further, it features a 5" display, a 5 MP camera and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor. The phone is available on eBay in two colour variants.

short by Deeksha Koli / 03:20 pm on 04 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Intex launches Cloud Breeze smartphone at ₹3,999

short by Deeksha Koli / 03:05 pm on 04 Mar 2016,Friday

Intex on Thursday launched the Cloud Breeze smartphone in India for ₹3,999. The dual-SIM phone sports a 5" display with Corning's Gorilla Glass, 1 GB of RAM, 5 MP/2 MP cameras, a 2,300 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core MediaTek processor. With support for 21 regional languages, the Cloud Breeze is exclusively available on Snapdeal.

short by Deeksha Koli / 03:05 pm on 04 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Villages to get BPO call centres soon: Govt

short by Anupama K / 10:22 am on 04 Mar 2016,Friday

The government will soon launch BPO call centres in villages to empower and digitally connect with the common man, said Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Communications and Technology. Prasad said that 78 companies have expressed interest in setting up the BPOs in villages. There is a plan to have such centres in small urban areas as well, he further added.

short by Anupama K / 10:22 am on 04 Mar

read more at ANI

'Redmi Note 3' most trending Google search today

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:14 pm on 03 Mar 2016,Thursday

China-based Xiaomi launched its 'Redmi Note 3' smartphone in India on Thursday following which the phone was the most trending Google search in India. It was most looked up in Manipur, Mizoram, Haryana and Punjab. 'INDIA vs UAE', 'Arsenal', 'Shraddha Kapoor', 'Rahul Gandhi' and 'London Has Fallen' were also trending on the same day in India.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:14 pm on 03 Mar

read more at Google

Apple starts customer service on Twitter

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:10 pm on 03 Mar 2016,Thursday

Apple has launched an official dedicated Twitter account with the handle name '@AppleSupport' to provide customer support, tips, tricks and helpful information for users. The account started off by providing some hidden tricks of its Notes app. Notably, Apple has already been hosting Twitter accounts for its specific products like Beats, Apple Music and iTunes.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:10 pm on 03 Mar

read more at Engadget

Startup builds business card that displays pulse

short by Dishant Sharma / 09:12 pm on 03 Mar 2016,Thursday

Hungarian open source electrocardiography startup MobilECG has built a business card that displays a user's pulse and beats per minute on a built-in screen. Users need to place their thumbs on two touch pads for the screen to show the pulse. The device which will cost around $29, uses a button cell which lasts for an hour of continuous use.

short by Dishant Sharma / 09:12 pm on 03 Mar

read more at Mashable

Google partners with UNICEF to map Zika outbreak

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:03 pm on 03 Mar 2016,Thursday

Google on Thursday said that it is working with the UNICEF to analyze data for mapping and predicting the spread of the Zika virus, linked to birth defects among children. The company announced a $1 million grant to UNICEF to support the development of the vaccines. Google has also started prominently providing information about the virus in its search engine.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:03 pm on 03 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Former Google CEO to head new Pentagon board

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:28 pm on 03 Mar 2016,Thursday

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Wednesday said that former Google CEO Eric Schmidt will head Pentagon's recently unveiled Defense Innovation Advisory Board. The new board will help the Pentagon in becoming more innovative and adaptive in developing technology by bringing in Silicon Valley innovations. The Pentagon said that the first board meeting could take place in April.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:28 pm on 03 Mar

read more at Reuters

Slack launches voice calling on desktop, Chrome

short by Dishant Sharma / 07:45 pm on 03 Mar 2016,Thursday

US-based productivity and messaging app Slack on Thursday started the beta roll-out of its voice calling feature on desktop and Chrome browser. Unpaid users can initiate a one-to-one voice chat while paid Slack users can start group calls by clicking the phone icon. Notably, the voice calling feature will not restrict third-party Slack integrations with Skype and Google Hangouts.

short by Dishant Sharma / 07:45 pm on 03 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 launched in India for ₹9,999

short by Dishant Sharma / 07:11 pm on 03 Mar 2016,Thursday

Xiaomi launched its Redmi Note 3 smartphone in India on Thursday, the maiden launch of the phone outside China. The smartphone will be available in two variants, one costing ₹9,999 with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB storage, while the other costing ₹11,999 with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage. It will be available for purchase starting March 9.

short by Dishant Sharma / 07:11 pm on 03 Mar

read more at Hindustan Times

LinkedIn CEO donates $14 mn stock to employees

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:09 pm on 03 Mar 2016,Thursday

LinkedIn on Wednesday said that Chief Executive Jeff Weiner will donate his annual stock package, valued at about $14 million, to its employees. The stocks will be awarded to employees over the next several weeks as part of the annual review. This move follows LinkedIn's disappointing first-quarter revenue and profit forecast. Notably, LinkedIn's stock dropped nearly 38% since the results.

short by Twishy Shahi / 05:09 pm on 03 Mar

read more at Re/code

Andhra govt approves Internet of Things policy

short by Arjun Bhatia / 03:07 pm on 03 Mar 2016,Thursday

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet on Wednesday approved a first-of-its-kind policy on Internet of Things (IoT). “We want to position AP as the IoT Hub in the country and… grab a market share of $1.5 billion by 2020,” the state’s IT Minister said. The state government aims to set up 10 IoT hubs with private players' participation and create 50,000 jobs.

short by Arjun Bhatia / 03:07 pm on 03 Mar

read more at PTI

IIT Kgp students develop driverless bicycle

short by Tanaya Singh / 01:46 pm on 03 Mar 2016,Thursday

A 13 student-team of IIT Kharagpur has developed i-Bike– a disabled friendly bicycle that autonomously rides itself towards any given location. The brainchild of Ayush Pandey and Subhamoy Mahajan, i-Bike has autonomous steering, brake, and driving mechanisms. The bicycle uses GPS and responds to the coordinates of the destination received via SMS, with the help of a dedicated Android app.

short by Tanaya Singh / 01:46 pm on 03 Mar

read more at The Better India

Google pilots its hands free payment application

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:33 am on 03 Mar 2016,Thursday

Google on Wednesday rolled out the pilot program of its 'Hands Free' application in the US, that features hands-free mobile payment. It uses location-based services to check whether a customer is in a store equipped for hands-free payments, and passes the information to the point-of-sale system. The customer then needs to provide the initials for cross-checking against the Google profile.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:33 am on 03 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

LinkedIn introduces targeted marketing campaigns

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:03 pm on 02 Mar 2016,Wednesday

LinkedIn rolled out a new feature called LinkedIn Account Targeting that allows advertisers to aim sponsored InMail and updates toward their targeted companies on a large scale. To use this feature, advertisers first collate a list of their targeted companies which is cross-referenced by LinkedIn against the businesses in its network and then a user segment for ad-targeting is created.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:03 pm on 02 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Man transforms Tata Nano into a driverless car

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:32 pm on 02 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Robotics engineer Roshy John and his team has transformed a Tata Nano into a driverless car by fitting sensors and mounting cameras in the car. Roshy has also successfully tested the car's autonomous mode and emergency stop switch on Indian roads. The team has created an autonomous system that can be fitted into any vehicle within an hour.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:32 pm on 02 Mar

read more at YouTube

Apple patents detachable wireless earbuds

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:05 pm on 02 Mar 2016,Wednesday

Apple on Tuesday was granted a patent for "Detachable wireless listening device" which describes a headphone design that accepts audio signals through a cord and also wireless protocols. The design features a magnetic attachment mechanism connecting the earbuds to the main cord. If the earbud-side cord is detached, the system can detect the change and can activate the wireless communications.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:05 pm on 02 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Congress terms iPhone unlock as 'fool's errand'

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:51 pm on 02 Mar 2016,Wednesday

In the Congressional hearing of the Apple-FBI controversy over the San Bernardino shooters' iPhone, lawmakers told the FBI director James Comey that forcing Apple to unlock the iPhone is a "fool’s errand" that undermines cybersecurity. In the hearing, Comey had compared Apple's impenetrable encryption to a guard dog and said, "It’s not their job to watch out for public safety."

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:51 pm on 02 Mar

read more at The Guardian

Drones to be declared to customs from April 1

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:20 pm on 02 Mar 2016,Wednesday

The government has revised the 'Indian Customs Declaration Form' to include drones in the list of prohibited and dutiable goods, making it mandatory for the flyers to declare them from April 1. The revision has been made considering drones as a major security risk. Duty-free allowance of foreigners has also been increased to ₹15,000 from the existing limit of ₹8,000.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:20 pm on 02 Mar

read more at India Today

Startup makes portable personal air conditioner

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:44 pm on 02 Mar 2016,Wednesday

A Russian startup has developed 'Evapolar', a $179 portable personal air conditioner that cools, humidifies and purifies air. It contains a removable water tank of 710 ml capacity which lasts for 6-8 hours. Evapolar claims to be 12 times more energy efficient than traditional split systems. The air conditioner can reach a maximum cooling temperature of 17°C.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:44 pm on 02 Mar

read more at YouTube

USA invites experts to 'Hack The Pentagon'

short by Nihal Thondepu / 02:54 pm on 02 Mar 2016,Wednesday

The US Department of Defense has invited experts to a 'Hack The Pentagon' event in an attempt to test the cybersecurity of its public websites. The experts invited are US citizens who will undergo background checks before testing Pentagon networks. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said this pilot programme will help strengthen USA's digital defenses and improve national security.

short by Nihal Thondepu / 02:54 pm on 02 Mar

read more at India Today

WhatsApp adds sharing from Google Drive, Dropbox

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:28 pm on 02 Mar 2016,Wednesday

WhatsApp has updated its iOS app to introduce a slew of features which includes third-party app support that lets users shares photos and videos from Google Drive, Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive. It has also bought 'pinch to zoom' feature to zoom a video while it is playing. A range of solid coloured wallpapers have also been added for chat background.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:28 pm on 02 Mar

Self-cleaning public eToilets set up in Chennai

short by Prashanti Moktan / 10:44 pm on 01 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Over 180 self-cleaning public eToilets, which are free for public use, have been installed in Chennai. Each toilet automatically cleans itself before entry and after use and sensors enable consumption of less water and power with each use. Around 40 toilets come equipped with a sanitary napkin generator. Notably, these toilets can be located through an Android app called eToilet.

short by Prashanti Moktan / 10:44 pm on 01 Mar

read more at Mashable

NASA to build supersonic passenger jet

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:34 pm on 01 Mar 2016,Tuesday

NASA has begun work to build a supersonic passenger jet claimed to be safer, quieter and more affordable. The agency has awarded its first contract, worth $20 million, to a US-based company to develop a preliminary design of an aircraft which surpasses the speed of sound. The first flight tests of the supersonic aircraft are expected to start around 2020.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:34 pm on 01 Mar

read more at NASA

WhatsApp lets users keep tab of shared links

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:27 pm on 01 Mar 2016,Tuesday

WhatsApp has rolled out a slew of new features in its latest update on Android. Users can now copy only the link from a message by long-pressing it, and also check their shared link history. Further, the latest update gives users the option of either deleting all messages or only those that are older than 30 days or six months.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:27 pm on 01 Mar

read more at India Today

Google adds improved security features on Gmail

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:05 pm on 01 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Google has rolled out several new security features for enterprise Gmail users including optical character recognition for attachments. Businesses can now use optical character recognition to scan attachments for potentially sensitive information like credit card numbers and objectionable words. Google has also made it easier for admins to scan e-mails for personally identifiable information.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:05 pm on 01 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

Evernote starts rupee payments for Indian users

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:40 pm on 01 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Productivity app Evernote has started accepting payments in Indian National Rupee (INR) for Evernote Plus and Premium services. Evernote will allow localised credit card payment on purchase of its premium services including the purchases on major app stores. The company is also giving introductory discounts on all Evernote subscriptions with localised payments.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:40 pm on 01 Mar

read more at NextBigWhat

11 crore phones manufactured in India in 2015-16

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:37 pm on 01 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday said that mobile phone production in India had more than doubled to 11 crore in 2015-16, against 5.4 crore units manufactured in 2014-15. Prasad added that the government has so far received proposals worth ₹1,20,294 crore for electronics manufacturing in India, out of which projects worth ₹18,000 crore have been given in-principal approval.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:37 pm on 01 Mar

read more at Phys

15K Vive VR headsets pre-ordered in 10 mins: HTC

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:27 pm on 01 Mar 2016,Tuesday

HTC has claimed to have sold more than 15,000 units of its Vive virtual reality (VR) headset in 10 minutes. The headset, that costs $799, had become available for pre-order on February 29. The VR device features updated wireless controllers, a front-facing camera and an improved visual system to deliver a deeper sense of immersion.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:27 pm on 01 Mar

read more at VentureBeat

InFocus launches new range of LED TVs in India

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:19 pm on 01 Mar 2016,Tuesday

US-based electronics manufacturer InFocus on Tuesday launched a new range of budget LED TVs in India, priced between ₹9,999 and ₹69,999. The LED TVs have been released in four sizes of 24", 32", 50" and 60", and are available exclusively on Snapdeal. The first two models offer HD screens while the latter duo sport full HD resolution displays.

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:19 pm on 01 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

PressPlay TV launches free VoD service in trains

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:12 pm on 01 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Video streaming app PressPlay TV has launched its free video-on-demand service in select trains in India. It has partnered with Northwestern Railways to offer the service on Delhi-Bikaner bound Bikaner Intercity and Delhi-Udaipur bound Chetak Express trains. The content is locally hosted at the PressPlay TV hotspot, so users don’t need to connect to the internet to use the service.

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:12 pm on 01 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Facebook adds video sharing support on Moments

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:01 pm on 01 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Facebook has updated its private photo-sharing application Moments to add support for video sharing on both iOS and Android. Facebook said that Moments will also start allowing users to include videos in their Moments slideshows in the next few weeks. The company claims that more than 400 million photos have been shared in Moments since its launch in June 2015.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:01 pm on 01 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Google's self-driving car hits bus in California

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:24 pm on 01 Mar 2016,Tuesday

A Google self-driving Lexus SUV ran into the side of a public bus in California. No one was injured in the accident where the car was driving at 2 mph, and the bus at 15mph. The incident took place on February 14 this year. This is reportedly the first time a Google car has caused an accident in autonomous mode.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:24 pm on 01 Mar

read more at TechCrunch

Micromax Canvas Tab P702 launched for ₹7,999

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:30 pm on 01 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Domestic vendor Micromax on Monday launched the Canvas Tab P702 for ₹7,999 in India. The budget tablet features a 7” HD display, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB flash storage, a 3,000 mAh battery, voice calling and is powered by a quad-core MediaTek processor. The 4G-enabled tablet is available exclusively via Snapdeal in two colour variants.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 02:30 pm on 01 Mar

read more at 91mobiles

Twitter lost over $2 billion since inception

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:29 pm on 01 Mar 2016,Tuesday

Twitter has lost over $2.09 billion since it was founded in 2006 due to "significant operating losses", according to a shareholder document for the year ended 2015. While Twitter's revenue grew from $28.3 million in 2010 to $2.22 billion in 2015, it has not managed to become profitable. Twitter also admitted a decline in the growth rate of user base.

short by Pragya Swastik / 02:29 pm on 01 Mar

read more at The Next Web

Judge blocks iPhone unlock request in drug case

short by Nihal Thondepu / 12:25 pm on 01 Mar 2016,Tuesday

A US Federal judge on Monday ruled that the government cannot force Apple to unlock an iPhone while hearing a narcotics case in New York. Notably, this comes while Apple is fighting a US government request to unlock the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone. Apple has been arguing that the government's request threatens the balance between fighting crime and preserving privacy.

short by Nihal Thondepu / 12:25 pm on 01 Mar

read more at Reuters

Smart water pitcher can order filters using WiFi

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:20 pm on 29 Feb 2016,Monday

Germany-based company Brita has designed a smart water pitcher that can automatically order new filters for itself. The pitcher senses when a given filter has purified all the water it was meant to, after about 40 gallons, and orders a new one for $5.99 from Amazon using WiFi. The pitcher can be bought on Amazon for $45.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:20 pm on 29 Feb

read more at Re/code

Raspberry Pi 3 microcomputer launched for $35

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:40 pm on 29 Feb 2016,Monday

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has launched the Raspberry Pi 3 microcomputer for $35. The third-generation model features Bluetooth 4.0, built-in WiFi support and a faster 1.2 GHz 64-bit quad-core ARMv8 processor. The low-cost, credit card-sized device was first launched exactly four years ago as an easy point-of-entry for budding programmers and can be plugged into a computer monitor or TV.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:40 pm on 29 Feb

read more at VentureBeat

Pre-orders for HoloLens developer edition start

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:17 pm on 29 Feb 2016,Monday

Microsoft on Monday started taking pre-orders for the developer edition of its augmented reality headset HoloLens. Developers with an invite will be able to buy a unit for $3,000. The first units will start shipping to developers in the US and Canada on March 30. Notably, it is unclear when the consumer edition of the headset will be released.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:17 pm on 29 Feb

read more at TechCrunch

Will stream sessions on YouTube: Delhi Speaker

short by Ankur Vyas / 05:45 pm on 29 Feb 2016,Monday

Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel today said the government will use YouTube and local cable TV to telecast live proceedings of the House if the Centre does not respond to its proposal. Goel wrote to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry in November seeking approval to set up a channel on the lines of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha TV.

short by Ankur Vyas / 05:45 pm on 29 Feb

Snapchat targeted in e-mail phishing attack

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:27 pm on 29 Feb 2016,Monday

Video messaging application Snapchat has been targeted in a phishing attack by a scammer impersonating Co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel. The company received an e-mail requesting the payroll data of its employees and divulged the same, overlooking the scam. However, this has not affected Snapchat’s internal systems and the breach has been reported to the FBI.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:27 pm on 29 Feb

read more at VentureBeat

YouTube makes team over mistaken video takedowns

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:07 pm on 29 Feb 2016,Monday

YouTube has created a “dedicated” team to reduce the cases of mistaken video takedowns. This comes after several video creators complained that the website was taking down their legitimate copyright videos without any reason, leading to demonetisation. An official from YouTube’s Policy Team said that the company is checking to see if its policies need to be modified.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 05:07 pm on 29 Feb

read more at VentureBeat

Apple to launch new products in March

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:09 pm on 29 Feb 2016,Monday

Apple will reportedly hold its next product event in the week of March 21, where it is expected to debut a new 4-inch iPhone SE. The company is also expected to showcase its new iPad Air 3 and an upgraded Apple Watch at the event. Earlier, the product event was supposed to be held on March 15.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:09 pm on 29 Feb

Ringing Bells refunds 1st 30k customers: Reports

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:55 pm on 28 Feb 2016,Sunday

Ringing Bells, the maker of the ‘Freedom 251’ smartphone, has claimed to have refunded its first 30,000 pre-booking orders. It will now only accept the cash-on-delivery mode of payment for the phone that costs ₹251. Company President Ashok Chadha said, "This will ensure further transparency and clear any misgivings”. Ringing Bells plans to sell 25 lakh handsets before June 30.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:55 pm on 28 Feb

read more at Tech2

Google AI to identify writing style of authors

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:53 pm on 28 Feb 2016,Sunday

According to Google's Natural Language Understanding research group, it is teaching its artificial intelligence to understand language by making it identify and predict the works of famous authors. The system was fed lines of various writers and was made to identify writing style of individual writers. With this, the researchers are also trying to predict personality of famous dead writers.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:53 pm on 28 Feb

read more at Wired

Australia testing $250k shark-spotting drones

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:44 pm on 28 Feb 2016,Sunday

Australia is testing $250,000 shark-spotting drones named 'Little Ripper' for monitoring beaches to support search and rescue operations. To be tested for the next six months, the remote-controlled drones will aerially detect sharks through real-time sensors and pattern recognition algorithms. This data will be shared by the drones with the police, ambulance and emergency services through radio.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:44 pm on 28 Feb

read more at Mashable

Instagram shuts down access for Being app

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:16 pm on 28 Feb 2016,Sunday

Instagram has shut down the access of the app 'Being', eight days after it was launched. The app let users browse Instagram feeds of any public user including a friend, a pop star, celebrity, techie, politician or even a brand. The app claims to have garnered around 40,000 users since its launch and 11,000 downloads on its last day.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:16 pm on 28 Feb

read more at The Verge

Reliance Jio launches two phones under LYF brand

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:24 pm on 28 Feb 2016,Sunday

Reliance Jio has launched the LYF Flame 1 and LYF Wind 6 smartphones for ₹6,490 and ₹7,090, respectively. The 4G-enabled, dual-SIM devices feature 5 MP cameras, 1 GB of RAM and are powered by a 1.1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processors. Further, the Flame 1 sports a 4.5-inch display, while the Wind 6 sports a 5-inch display.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:24 pm on 28 Feb

read more at Tech2

Printer that prints videos developed

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:01 pm on 28 Feb 2016,Sunday

A US startup has developed a $130 printer 'LifePrint', which lets users print videos, Apple Live Photos, Vines and GIFs in 30 seconds. Connected through an app, the printer prints normal photos as well as Augmented Reality photos from both Android and iOS smartphones. The printed pictures come alive when placed in front of the smartphone's camera.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:01 pm on 28 Feb

read more at YouTube

Flexible light-weight solar cells developed

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:12 pm on 28 Feb 2016,Sunday

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US have developed flexible solar panels, which they claim to be the thinnest and the lightest. These solar panels can be placed on any surface including soap bubbles, smartphones or clothes. The scientists said that these solar cells could help to power the next generation of portable electronic devices.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:12 pm on 28 Feb

read more at India Today

Scientists develop smart wallpaper for power

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:11 pm on 28 Feb 2016,Sunday

Scientists from the University of Surrey in UK have developed a smart wallpaper which absorbs light and heat to electrify homes. The wallpapers are made of ultra-thin graphene sheets using 'nanotexturing' technique that increases the absorbing capacity by 90%. This generates enough electricity to run smart applications at home and produce dim light when coated to a solar cell.

short by Pragya Swastik / 05:11 pm on 28 Feb

read more at India Today

Twitter launches women's empowerment campaign

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:25 pm on 28 Feb 2016,Sunday

Twitter has launched a women's empowerment campaign #PositionOfStrength across India to bridge the gender equality gap online. Under the campaign, Twitter will host a series of roundtables and workshops with women leaders on women empowerment and safety throughout the year. Notably, women make up 29% of 375 million internet users in India.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:25 pm on 28 Feb

read more at Twitter Blog

'Samsung Galaxy A' trending on Google today

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:40 pm on 27 Feb 2016,Saturday

Samsung recently launched its smartphones Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 in India following which 'Samsung Galaxy A' was among the most trending Google searches in India on Saturday. It was most looked up by Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, West Bengal and Punjab. 'Rajesh Pillai' and 'Live Cricket Score' were also trending on Google on the same day.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:40 pm on 27 Feb

read more at Google

Sony files patent for PS glove controller

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:22 pm on 27 Feb 2016,Saturday

According to reports by Ars Technica, Sony has filed patents for a 'Glove Interface Object', designed to work with the PlayStation VR. It has been designed to render finger and hand movements within the virtual space. The device will have flex and contact sensors that will track thumb and at least one finger, and also their interaction.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:22 pm on 27 Feb

read more at The Next Web

Drone-guided robot created under Volvo's project

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:04 pm on 27 Feb 2016,Saturday

Students from three US universities and Volvo Group have created a drone-guided robot which automatically collects and empties garbage bins. Under the project named 'ROAR', a drone atop a garbage-collecting truck scans areas and helps robot find the bins. It also has an emergency stop button that stops the robot if a child or a dog comes in front.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:04 pm on 27 Feb

read more at YouTube

MIT creates early warning system for rogue waves

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:10 pm on 27 Feb 2016,Saturday

A team of MIT engineers has developed a new prediction tool that acts as an early warning system for the incoming rogue waves. For this, the team simulated every wave in the surrounding water body using the length and height of each wave to predict their future interactions that could result in rogue waves.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:10 pm on 27 Feb

read more at Engadget

Google launches tools for app ratings & reviews

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:53 pm on 27 Feb 2016,Saturday

Google has launched new tools for Android developers to help them better analyze the ratings and reviews of their apps. For this, Google has implemented dedicated pages containing ratings and reviews of a developer's app. The page will feature daily, weekly and monthly variations of the app ratings, and will also allow searching a review for specific topics and keywords.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:53 pm on 27 Feb

read more at Reuters

Gmail updates 'snooze' feature on Inbox app

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:49 pm on 27 Feb 2016,Saturday

Gmail on Friday updated the 'snooze' feature on its Inbox app, that lets users schedule or snooze the reminders and mails to be used later. The new update will let a user select from two snooze times including 'Later this week' and 'This weekend'. The feature will also allow users to choose preferred weekend days to snooze a mail.

short by Pragya Swastik / 04:49 pm on 27 Feb

read more at Mashable

Microsoft kills its Android app porting tool

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:50 am on 27 Feb 2016,Saturday

Microsoft has officially killed Project Astoria, its initiative that aimed at allowing developers to port their Android apps to Windows 10. Further, Microsoft recently acquired Xamarin, a company that deals in multiplatform apps and whose toolset can now be used by developers for cross-platform applications. Notably, Microsoft already has a tool in place to port iOS apps to Windows 10.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:50 am on 27 Feb

read more at Engadget

Study reveals mobile ads leak personal data

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:12 am on 27 Feb 2016,Saturday

A new study done by the Georgia Institute of Technology on 200 participants, who used a custom-built Android application, revealed that personalized mobile advertisements leak users' personal data. Based on the advertisements shown, researchers found that an app developer could learn the gender of a user with 75% accuracy, age group with 54% accuracy and parental status with 66% accuracy.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 03:12 am on 27 Feb

read more at Phys

BLU launches Life Mark smartphone for ₹8,999

short by Deeksha Koli / 10:33 pm on 26 Feb 2016,Friday

US-based manufacturer BLU on Friday launched the Life Mark smartphone in India for ₹8,999. The 4G-enabled dual-SIM phone features a 5" HD display, 2 GB of RAM, 13 MP/5 MP cameras and is powered by a 64-bit MediaTek processor. One of the few devices in the sub-₹10,000 segment to sport a fingerprint scanner, it is available exclusively on Amazon India.

short by Deeksha Koli / 10:33 pm on 26 Feb

read more at 91mobiles

Apple files motion against iPhone unlock order

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:14 pm on 26 Feb 2016,Friday

Apple on Thursday filed a motion against the court order to help the FBI unlock the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone. In the motion, Apple stated that the demand violates its First Amendment rights against compelled speech and viewpoint discrimination. Notably, the FBI had asked Apple to create backdoor access to the iPhone. The case will be testified on March 1.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:14 pm on 26 Feb

read more at TechCrunch

Aus surgeon 1st to implant 3D-printed vertebrae

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:47 pm on 26 Feb 2016,Friday

An Australian neurosurgeon, Ralph Mobbs performed a surgery by implanting 3D-printed titanium vertebrae in a 60-year-old patient suffering from chordoma, a rare form of cancer that occurs in bones. This was the first time such an operation had been attempted. Mobbs worked with an Australian medical device manufacturer to create perfect replicas of the patient's top two vertebrae for practice.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 09:47 pm on 26 Feb

read more at Wired

Netflix tests auto-playing trailers

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:02 pm on 26 Feb 2016,Friday

At the MWC 2016, Netflix announced that it is testing auto-playing of video trailers that would begin to play when users hovered over a title. Further, subscribers have also reported coming across auto-playing trailers that include audio and video both. The company said, “We learn by testing and these features may or may not become part of the Netflix experience”.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 09:02 pm on 26 Feb

read more at TechCrunch

4G handset queries rise by 200% in India: Google

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:05 pm on 26 Feb 2016,Friday

According to a report by Google, there has been a 200% rise in the search queries for 4G handsets in India in 2015. However, the search queries for 3G-compliant devices dropped by 35% in the same time period. The report said that there has been a 75% decline in the average price of 4G-enabled devices over the past 12 months.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 07:05 pm on 26 Feb

Wikimedia head Tretikov quits over leaked plans

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:55 pm on 26 Feb 2016,Friday

Lila Tretikov, the Executive Director of Wikimedia Foundation, which maintains Wikipedia, on Thursday resigned from her post over the group's leaked plans. Leaked documents surfaced over the internet suggested that Wikipedia will launch its own search engine to compete with Google. Followed by the leak, Wikipedia editors, community members, and Wikimedia employees called on Tretikov to step down.

short by Pragya Swastik / 06:55 pm on 26 Feb

read more at The Verge

Boeing patents tech to 3D-print objects mid-air

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:17 pm on 26 Feb 2016,Friday

Boeing has patented a technology to 3D-print objects while they are levitating in space. The technology uses multiple printing heads that can increase the speed of printing many-fold. Further, it uses a central nugget of magnetic material that can be twisted as necessary, allowing access to the objects from all sides. Boeing plans to 3D-print aircraft parts using this technology.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:17 pm on 26 Feb

read more at TechCrunch

Facebook launches immersive ad tool Canvas

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:01 pm on 26 Feb 2016,Friday

Facebook has launched its ads Canvas feature that allows users to access ads directly from their News Feeds without leaving the app. The immersive technology loads full-screen rich media ads in-app that can be viewed in about a second. The feature lets advertisers put interactive elements like animations, product catalogs, tilt-to-view images and videos in their ads at no additional cost.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:01 pm on 26 Feb

read more at TechCrunch

LG, Sony to exit entry-level smartphone market

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:23 pm on 26 Feb 2016,Friday

LG and Sony have decided to leave the entry-level smartphone market due to high proliferation of the segment by local and Chinese handset makers. The market shares of LG and Sony in 2015 stood at 0.4% and 1.5%, respectively. Currently, the entry-level smartphone market is dominated by Samsung, Micromax and Intex with market shares of 26%, 16% and 10%, respectively.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:23 pm on 26 Feb

read more at Trak.in

Zee Digital launches video-on-demand service

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:06 pm on 26 Feb 2016,Friday

The digital arm of Zee Entertainment, Zee Digital Convergence, has launched its own video-on-demand service called OZEE. Available on both Android and iOS, the platform will “make content available within minutes of its television telecast” and deliver it for free. Further, the content’s shelf life will be for a lifetime and it will be delivered even on low bandwidth connections.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:06 pm on 26 Feb

read more at Trak.in

YouTube launches custom tool to blur out objects

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:24 pm on 26 Feb 2016,Friday

YouTube on Thursday launched a custom blurring tool that allows users to blur out any object in their videos. The desktop tool also works on moving items and keeps them blurred as they travel around. The feature is aimed at letting people protect sensitive information like license plates and credit card numbers. Notably, YouTube already offers users a face-blurring tool.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 03:24 pm on 26 Feb

read more at TechCrunch

Lava unveils Twinpad convertible at ₹15,000

short by Jamal Mohammad / 09:06 am on 26 Feb 2016,Friday

Lava has launched a Windows 10-powered tablet-laptop hybrid dubbed the Twinpad at ₹15,000. The convertible offers stylus support and a detachable keyboard with a trackpad. The 3G-enabled device features a 10.1-inch IPS display, 2 GB of RAM, a 7,400 mAh battery, 2 MP/2 MP cameras and is powered by a 1.33 GHz quad-core processor.

short by Jamal Mohammad / 09:06 am on 26 Feb

read more at 91mobiles

Sony to hold PlayStation VR event on March 15

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:55 am on 26 Feb 2016,Friday

Sony has announced to hold a special event for the PlayStation VR, its virtual reality headset for the PlayStation 4, at the Game Developers Conference on March 15 in San Francisco. The invite-only event will allow hands-on demonstrations of the headset. Further, Sony is expected to reveal the price or the release date of the headset at the event.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:55 am on 26 Feb

read more at TechCrunch

First augmented reality phone to launch in July

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:15 am on 26 Feb 2016,Friday

Lenovo will launch the world’s first smartphone with augmented reality (AR) support in July 2016. Developed under Google’s 'Project Tango', the phone will feature advanced 3D motion tracking technology and depth sensors, enabling it to sense its surroundings and navigate through it. Notably, Google and Lenovo also demonstrated the phone’s AR-backed indoor navigation feature at the MWC 2016.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:15 am on 26 Feb

read more at Trak.in

Google unveils AI to determine image locations

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:04 am on 26 Feb 2016,Friday

According to the MIT Technology Review, Google has unveiled a new artificial intelligence (AI) project, called PlaNet, that can determine the location of almost any image without using the geotags. The project breaks photos down to the pixel-level and then tries to match them with its image library, consisting of 90 million geotagged pictures from across the globe.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:04 am on 26 Feb

read more at The Next Web

Siri to feature in next Mac OS update: Reports

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:00 am on 26 Feb 2016,Friday

According to reports by Apple-focussed blog 9to5Mac, Apple will add its mobile digital assistant Siri in the next version of the Mac operating system. Apple will plant Siri in the menu in the top right corner. The report also mentioned that if a Mac is plugged into a power source, then the voice activated 'Hey Siri' command would also work.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 05:00 am on 26 Feb

read more at India Today

'Far Cry Primal' video game review

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:14 pm on 25 Feb 2016,Thursday

Ubisoft's 'Far Cry Primal', released earlier in the week, strikes up a fine balance between tension and fun that elevates the overall experience, according to GameSpot. Rating the game as 7.9/10, IGN said that the detailed character designs and performances are excellent and successfully captures the primal ancient feel. However, the plotline lacks any real twist and variety, IGN added.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:14 pm on 25 Feb

read more at YouTube

Skype to shut down its in-app video service Qik

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:06 pm on 25 Feb 2016,Thursday

Skype will shut down its in-app video messaging service Qik, that lets users share up to 42 seconds of videos with friends, by March 24. Skype said that it has already integrated all of Qik’s best features like filters and video messaging. Notably, Qik was acquired by Skype in 2011 and then its functionality was built into the Microsoft platform in 2014.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 08:06 pm on 25 Feb

Canadian company creates social media keyboard

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:50 pm on 25 Feb 2016,Thursday

Vancouver-based company Bubbl has developed a social media keyboard called ‘Air’ that aims at making functions like ‘hashtagging’ and ‘@mention’ easier. Users can connect the keyboard to their social networks and it will automatically recognize their contacts, making it simpler to tag or mention them. It also surfaces common tags for easy one-tap insertion.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 06:50 pm on 25 Feb

read more at VentureBeat

Duo recycling old phones to reduce e-Waste

short by Tanaya Singh / 05:52 pm on 25 Feb 2016,Thursday

Aamir Jariwala and Akshat Ghiya founded Karma Recycling – a company that purchases old mobile devices, fixes them, reengineers them if needed, and resells them. Today, Karma is a leading redistributor of mobile devices in India. They collect old smartphones, tablets and laptops from users. Karma Recycling accepts 3,000 models of mobile devices as of now.

short by Tanaya Singh / 05:52 pm on 25 Feb

read more at The Better India

World's first Li-Fi dongle LiFi-X unveiled

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:40 pm on 25 Feb 2016,Thursday

Scotland-based company pureLiFi has unveiled the world's first Li-Fi dongle called LiFi-X. The dongle can be operated from any USB 2.0-enabled mobile device and has an access point which can connect to a light source such as an LED. Li-Fi uses light rays to transmit data and is a 5G technology that offers 100 times higher transmission rates than today.

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:40 pm on 25 Feb

read more at 91mobiles

Intex launches Aqua Fish smartphone

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:20 pm on 25 Feb 2016,Thursday

Intex on Wednesday launched Aqua Fish, the world's first smartphone to run on a licensed Sailfish mobile operating system. The 4G-enabled phone features a 5" HD display, 2 GB of RAM, 8 MP/2 MP cameras, a 2,500 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor. The phone will start selling in May for around ₹8,000.

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:20 pm on 25 Feb

read more at 91mobiles

XOLO launches Era X smartphone for ₹5,777

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:12 pm on 25 Feb 2016,Thursday

Lava's sub-brand XOLO on Wednesday launched the Era X smartphone for ₹5,777. The dual-SIM 4G-enabled phone features a 5" HD display, 2 GB of RAM, 8 MP/5 MP cameras, a 2,500 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.5 GHz Spreadtrum processor. Available exclusively via Amazon India, the device comes with in-built K-class amplifier and box speakers.

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:12 pm on 25 Feb

read more at 91mobiles

ZOPO unveils 4G-enabled smartphone Speed 7C

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:07 pm on 25 Feb 2016,Thursday

Chinese manufacturer ZOPO on Wednesday unveiled the Speed 7C smartphone at the MWC 2016. The device features a 5" HD display, 2 GB of RAM, 13.2 MP/ 5 MP cameras, a 2,500 mAh battery and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek processor. The 4G-enabled phone also sports swappable back covers in a range of wooden finishes.

short by Deeksha Koli / 05:07 pm on 25 Feb

read more at 91mobiles

Google Docs allows users to format text by voice

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:51 pm on 25 Feb 2016,Thursday

Google has updated its Docs service on the web to enable users to edit and format text by voice. Users can now say commands like “select all,” “align center,” “bold,” “go to end of line,” and “increase font size” and Google Docs will execute them. So far, the platform allowed users to only dictate text into a document.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 04:51 pm on 25 Feb

read more at TechCrunch

Wi-Fi created that uses 10,000 times less power

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:54 am on 25 Feb 2016,Thursday

University of Washington researchers have created a new Wi-Fi system called 'Passive Wi-Fi' which is said to use 10,000 times less energy than conventional methods, and offers speeds of up to 11 Mbps. The development, which has been named in the 10 breakthrough technologies of 2016 by MIT Technology Review, will be commercialized by a University of Washington spinoff company.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 07:54 am on 25 Feb

read more at The Next Web

FarmVille co-creator to join Indian gaming firm

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:52 am on 25 Feb 2016,Thursday

Co-creator of Zynga-developed game FarmVille, Mark Skaggs on Wednesday revealed that he will join Bengaluru-based mobile gaming startup Moonfrog Labs, as a game designer and board member. Moonfrog, whose co-founder Tanay Tayal used to work for Zynga before starting up the mobile gaming startup, is known for games like Teen Patti Gold and Smash Cricket.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 04:52 am on 25 Feb

read more at VentureBeat

World's first thermal camera smartphone unveiled

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:56 am on 25 Feb 2016,Thursday

US company Caterpillar has unveiled a new smartphone 'Cat S60' with built-in thermal camera at the Mobile World Congress. It features FLIR Lepton thermal imaging sensor which works with 13 MP rear camera for sharper images. Cat S60 is also drop-resistant from heights of up to 1.8 metre and can remain underwater for one hour in 5 metre deep water.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:56 am on 25 Feb

read more at 91mobiles

Google starts showing AMP pages in mobile search

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:13 pm on 24 Feb 2016,Wednesday

As part of its Accelerated Mobile Page (AMP) project, Google on Wednesday started displaying AMP-enabled pages in its mobile search results. The AMP project aims to bring Facebook's instant articles like experience to the open web. According to Google, the displayed links to the AMP-enabled stories load four times faster and use ten times less data than non-AMP pages.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:13 pm on 24 Feb

read more at TechCrunch

Twitter launches Fabric on Android and iOS

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:11 pm on 24 Feb 2016,Wednesday

Twitter on Tuesday launched a mobile application on the Android and iOS platforms for its mobile development toolkit Fabric. The app, which uses push notifications rather than sending mails, provides the health and all the important data of an app to the user. Fabric is currently centered around Crashlytics, Twitter’s tool for discovering issues with apps.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 10:11 pm on 24 Feb

read more at The Next Web

Xiaomi unveils Mi 4s smartphone at MWC

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:08 pm on 24 Feb 2016,Wednesday

China-based startup Xiaomi on Wednesday unveiled a new mid-range smartphone 'Mi 4s' at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. The dual-sim handset is a new version of Mi 4 and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Priced around ₹17,800, it features a fingerprint sensor, a 5-inch display, 13 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera and 64 GB in-built memory.

short by Pragya Swastik / 09:08 pm on 24 Feb

read more at 91mobiles

Facebook expands 'Like' button with 'Reactions'

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:57 pm on 24 Feb 2016,Wednesday

Facebook today globally launched 'Reactions', an expansion of its existing 'Like' button. The feature adds five new reaction images to the Like button, including Love, Haha, Wow, Sad and Angry. These reactions can be used on both desktop and mobile versions of Facebook by hovering over the Like button and tapping the desired reaction.

short by Pragya Swastik / 08:57 pm on 24 Feb

read more at 91mobiles

Xiaomi unveils Mi 5 smartphone at MWC

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:57 pm on 24 Feb 2016,Wednesday

China-based startup Xiaomi on Wednesday unveiled its new flagship smartphone Mi 5 in three variants at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. All variants run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and feature a fingerprint scanner. The lowest variant, priced around ₹21,000, comes with a 5.15-inch display, 16 MP rear camera, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of in-built memory.

short by Pragya Swastik / 03:57 pm on 24 Feb

read more at YouTube

SoundCloud launches its Pulse app on iOS

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:54 am on 24 Feb 2016,Wednesday

Berlin-based online music streaming service SoundCloud has launched Pulse, a dedicated mobile application for artists and creators, on the iOS platform. The same was launched on the Android platform in November last year. The app allows the artists and creators to upload sounds either publicly or privately and get up to date statistics on the performance of those sounds.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 08:54 am on 24 Feb

read more at TechCrunch

Valve launches tool to test PC's VR capabilities

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:56 am on 24 Feb 2016,Wednesday

Video game developer Valve Corporation has recently launched SteamVR Performance Test, a diagnostics tool that tests the virtual reality (VR) capabilities of a PC. The tool analyzes how smoothly a system runs VR content at 90 frames per second and reports back dropped frames percentage. It will also tell which component needs upgrading for a PC which is not VR-ready.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 06:56 am on 24 Feb

read more at Google

Facebook launches Telecom Infra Project

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 11:13 pm on 23 Feb 2016,Tuesday

Facebook has launched a Telecom Infra Project as part of its Internet.org initiative that aims to increase internet connectivity across the world. Under this, Facebook will partner over 30 telecom companies like Intel and Nokia to develop new technologies that will reduce the cost of building mobile networks globally. It will also look to accelerate the growth of 5G networks.

short by Bhavika Bhuwalka / 11:13 pm on 23 Feb

MasterCard to launch payments by selfie

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:12 pm on 23 Feb 2016,Tuesday

MasterCard has confirmed that it will roll out selfie payments across its products in 15 countries this summer, after a trial in the US and the Netherlands was done last year. In the new biometric security system, the users can ditch passwords and PIN numbers, and access apps or make online payments by snapping a shot of their face.

short by Swarnim Bagre / 11:12 pm on 23 Feb

read more at The Next Web